Captured
by xSirenSongx
Summary: What if Victoria had gotten a hold of Bella in New Moon like she had planned? What was she planning to do to her? What if what happens to Bella changes her life and the Cullen's lives forever? Will anyone recover from this?
1. A Not So Happy Birthday

I don't own anything Twilight. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just playing around with her creation.

**Chapter 1: A Not So Happy Birthday**

_**Bella's Point of View**_

Even if I was by myself, I could still celebrate _his_ birthday. I know I was supposed to forget and move on, but…that just wasn't possible. Even if he didn't want me anymore and didn't love me, that didn't mean I would feel the same way and not want _him_, ever.

I had spent the last month or so trying to find this special place, _our_ meadow. I had managed to stumble across it yesterday, literally. It didn't emit the same magical aura it had the first time I was here, I figured it was due to the fact that I didn't have my supernatural companion.

I was back today in order to celebrate _his_ 105th birthday. To the rest of Forks it would have been _his_ 18th but since I was privy to _his_ families LITTLE secret, I knew the truth.

I laid out a blanket on the dried, brittle grass and kneeled down on top of it. I looked around at the once gorgeous and whimsical scenery, now arid and dull and like every other field I've seen, and very lonely. I sighed and pulled the small piece of chocolate cake from my bag then pulled back the saran wrap.

I cut away a small bit with my fork and held it to the sky. "Happy Birthday……"

After almost a year I still couldn't say _his_ name. I put the fork in my mouth just as my eyes started to sting and my jaw tightened as I tried to force away the tears. I should not be here; I should not be doing this. I must be a masochist for putting myself through this kind of pain.

But at least if I was going to breakdown here, I would be alone to do it.

_Alone_. That was a word I never thought I would say after I had met _him_. Anyone could tell how much in love we were. Angela would tease me repeatedly (always in a nice way) about how we were so 'sickly sweet in love.'

Where had it all gone wrong? So I got a paper cut, big deal. It was less blood than when James attacked me and Jasper hadn't done anything then. It would have been a minor thing if _he_ hadn't of shoved me away into a stack of glass plates, resulting in the damage being more severe.

I could understand if Jasper left for a bit to cool off, it's not like I held a grudge against the poor guy. But why had _he_ left me? Why did _his_ family leave me? _He_ thought I was in danger cause of what _he_ was, heck; I was in danger just walking from my room to the toilet.

I scoffed as I replayed our final moments together in the forest behind my house. The point when I stopped living, where my life ceased to be. Sure, after four months I could finally pull myself from my room, but in Jacob's words, I was a shell of what I used to be. I never smiled or laughed, listened to music or read. I even ripped the stereo out of my truck that Emmett installed on my last birthday. Everything reminded me of _him_.

How could _he_ do this to me? Did Alice not see how this would affect me? How _his_ leaving would kill me? Or did _he_ just not give a damn? I guess when you fall out of love, you stop caring.

Somehow I had managed to finish my slice of cake and I started to clean up. At exactly that moment, a figure stepped out from the trees about thirty feet away. I stood up and gazed out over the dried up grass to the still form on the other side.

I was surprised to see someone, I was far from any trail here and I wasn't expecting company. Then my eyes focused on the motionless figure, the whitish skin, and the eyes, that even at a distance the color was obvious. This face was not the one I wanted to see. This was not the face I grieved for, but I knew that the man facing me was no stray hiker, like I had thought at first.

"Laurent!" I cried in astonished delight.

I probably should have been afraid of him but I seemed to be missing the fear gene, or so I was teased about often enough.

When I first met Laurent he was a member of James's coven. He was afraid of James so he hadn't been involved with the hunt that followed; a hunt where I was the prey, plus being protected by a bigger coven than his own helps. He had talked about being interested in the vegetarian lifestyle; so he'd gone to Alaska to live with the other civilized coven there, the other family that refused to drink human blood for moral reasons. The only other family that lived like… but I couldn't let myself think the name, _his_ name or the family name, they were taboo for me. For some reason I was okay with saying the other family members names, but I couldn't say _his_ or the last name I had dreamed of taking as my own some day.

Sure, I should have some a semblance of fear, but all I felt was overpowering satisfaction. The proof stood in front of me, proof that, somewhere in the same world where I lived–_he __did exist_.

"Bella?" he asked, looking more overwhelmed than I probably was.

"You remember." I smiled.

He grinned back. "I didn't expect to see you here." He strolled toward me; his expression didn't look all that surprised, it was hopeful actually.

"I do live here. I thought you'd gone to Alaska."

"You're right," he agreed. "I did go to Alaska. But I'm back now. When I found the Cullen place empty, I thought they'd moved on."

"Oh." I bit my lip as the name made the wound in my heart and soul throb violently. It took me a second to compose myself. Laurent waited with curious eyes.

"They did move on," I finally managed to tell him.

"Hmm," he murmured. "I'm surprised they left you here. No offense, but weren't you kind of a pet of theirs or something?"

I smiled dryly. "Yeah, kind of."

"Hmm," he said, thoughtful again.

At that precise moment, I realized his eyes were too red if he was trying to adapt to the animal blood. After all this time, his eyes should be golden brown by now or at least close to brown not this startling crimson red. All _good _vampires had golden eyes.

I took an instinctive step back, and his curious, dark red eyes followed the movement. The corner of his mouth twitched upward.

"Do they visit often?" he asked, still casually and took a deep breath.

"_Lie_," from somewhere in my memory, a beautiful velvet voice whispered apprehensively.

I was surprised at the sound of _his _voice. The motorcycle was safe as kittens next to this, so why was I hearing _his_ voice now? I did what the voice told me to do.

"Sometimes," I tried to make my voice composed and relaxed. "You know how they get distracted…it's probably not as long to them as it is to me," I was beginning to babble. I needed to shut up.

"Hmm," he said again. "The house smelled musty and unused, like it had been unoccupied for a while…"

"_Lie better than that, Bella_," the voice nearly hissed.

"They never stay long," I tried. "I'll tell Carlisle that you stopped by." I pretended to deliberate for a second. "But I probably shouldn't mention it to…Edward." I had the hardest time managing to say his name, and it twisted my expression (along with my stomach) on the way out, sullying my deception. "He has such a temper. He's still irritable about the whole James thing." I rolled my eyes and waved one hand facetiously, like it was water under the bridge.

"Is he really?" Laurent asked pleasurably… almost like he was happy about that fact and it concerned me.

"Mm-hmm." I didn't trust my voice so I kept my reply short.

In my head, I heard a low snarl as Laurent took a casual step to the side, bringing him slightly closer to me.

"So how are things in Denali? Carlisle said you were staying with Tanya and her family?" My voice was too high and I hoped he didn't notice the worry that laced it.

"I like Tanya, she's very nice," he mused. "And I like her sister Irina even more… I'm not used to being in one place so long, it was strange, but I enjoy the advantages, the uniqueness of it. But, the restrictions are difficult; I don't know how they've managed for so long…sometimes I cheat."

I couldn't swallow or breathe. My foot started to slide back, but I froze when his red eyes flashed down to catch the movement.

"Jasper has problems with that, too." I said in a faint voice "but he's doing pretty well considering."

"_Don't move_," the voice whispered. I tried to listen but the urge for flight was very great and I had to bite my lip to focus on my movements.

"Really? Is that why they left?" Laurent seemed interested.

"No," I answered honestly. "Jasper is very careful."

"Yes," Laurent agreed. "I try to be also."

He deliberately took a step forward. I need to think fast.

"Did Victoria ever find you?" I asked, breathless. It was the first question that popped into my head. It was one of the worst questions I could have asked.

Victoria, who had helped James hunt me, and then disappeared, she was not someone I cared to know about at this exact moment. But Laurent paused.

"Yes," he said, hesitating on that step. "I actually came here to do a favor for her." He made a face.

"What favor?" I said eagerly, inviting him to continue. I needed to know what he as doing so I could think of a way to counter.

"She's sort of… upset with you, Bella."

"Me?" I squeaked. I staggered back another step. The frantic growling in my head made it hard to hear.

"I know, it seems a little backward to me, too. But James was her mate, and your Edward killed him." He shook his head and chuckled.

_His_ name tore against my unhealed wounds like a hot serrated blade. Even now, while I skirted along the perimeter of death, it would be a pain I died with.

Laurent was oblivious to my reaction. "She thought it would be more appropriate to kill you than Edward – mate for mate. She asked me to get the lay of the land for her, to scout ahead. I didn't imagine you would make this so easy for me. So maybe her plan was flawed, apparently it wouldn't be the revenge she imagined. You must not mean very much to him if he left you here defenseless, fair game."

Another stab, another jagged tear through my chest, another scream I had to bite back.

A mischievous grin rearranged his features. "You've caught me at a very bad time, Bella. I didn't come to thisplace on Victoria's mission at the moment, I was hunting. I'm quite thirsty, and you do smell… simply delicious." As if he meant it as a compliment Laurent looked at me with approval.

Laurent's weight shifted slightly, and I stumbled back another step. He frowned. "I suppose she'll be angry, all the same."

"Then why not wait for her? Besides, your eyes aren't black, you can't be that thirsty." I choked out.

"Well, aren't you very educated on vampire anatomy." He smirked at my correct observation.

"_Threaten him_," his beautiful voice was distorted with dread as he ordered me.

"He'll know it was you," I whispered obediently and tried to sound confident. "You won't get away with this."

"And why not?" Laurent's smile widened. He gazed around the small opening in the trees to see if there was anyone else present. "The scent will wash away with the next rain. No one will find your body; you'll simply go missing, like so many, many other humans. _If _he cares enough to investigate he _might_ think of me, but I've been in Alaska remember."

"_Beg_," my hallucination pleaded.

"Please, don't-" I gasped.

Laurent shook his head, his face kind. "Look at it this way, Bella. You're very lucky I was the one that found you and not Victoria."

"Am I?" I mouthed, faltering another step back.

Laurent followed my steps, lithe and graceful.

"Yes," he assured me. "I'll be very quick, you won't feel a thing. Oh, I'll lie to Victoria about that later, naturally, just to appease her. But if you knew what she had planned for you, Bella…" He shook his head and cringed in disgust. "I swear you'd be thanking me for this."

"_I _would be thanking _you_? And what if Victoria found out the truth? What would happen to you then?" I was pulling at loose strings now. I didn't know what to do so I just stalled until I could think of a plan.

Laurent shrugged indifferently and took another step closer. "That's a minor technicality. I'll think of something if it comes up."

"_Don't just stand there, do something!_" the velvety inner voice shouted at me, startling me into action.

Not knowing what else to do to protect myself, I acted on instinct. With all my strength I brought my leg back, and then swung it, kicking Laurent directly in the groin. I didn't wait to see if he doubled over like a human would, I turned and ran.

"_Oh like that did any good._" It was the only thing I could think of. I didn't her my mystery voice giving out any more suggestions. Oh great, now I'm talking back to the voice in my head.

Just as I came to the tree line I was violently knocked off my feet when my hair was pulled and my body came to a shuddering stop. I landed on my back and winced as I looked up and saw Laurent standing over me with a smug smile.

"Did you honestly think a human could hurt a vampire, even in that way?" his voice was cracking, obviously trying to stifle a laugh.

I cringed and rolled onto my side. The force of the impact to my back had rendered me speechless and nearly immobile. A cold hand grasped the back of my neck and pulled me up to my feet. I recoiled when I heard him whisper into my ear.

"On second thought, I _will_ take you to Victoria and let her do what she wants with you."

Great, I made matters worse. Before I could even think to react, I felt a fist jab into my stomach and everything went blurry. I hazily remember myself being thrown over Laurent's shoulder before he ran into the forest at top speed, and then everything went black.

____________________________________

_**Jacob's Point of View**_

With the Cullen's gone, the whole pack was surprised when we came across the scent of an unknown vampire. We followed the scent for miles. Everyone grew worried as the scent meandered closer and closer to town.

We emerged into a small clearing and I looked around. I wonder if this is the same clearing Bella was searching for. It was small and around the area we had been searching in before…before I grew so hairy.

I was stunned when Bella's scent hit my nose, it was fairly fresh. She had managed to find her meadow. I felt a small grin inch across my muzzle as I thought of how happy she would have been.

Then another smell assaulted my sense of smell and the fur on my back stood up like I was a porcupine.

_Vampire!_

I growled as I followed the scent and it started to mingle with Bella's. Near the center of the clearing the two smells were very concentrated, like they had stood here talking for awhile. There was a backpack and a blanket dropped haphazardly on the ground but no other sign of her. Panic started to overtake all common sense and I started to search the clearing for Bella.

_Jake calm down, we'll find her._

Sam was too calm. I tried to follow her aroma of freesia but the odor of vampire was too strong.

_The vampire has my Bella!_

We managed to find a trail of Bella's fragrance along with the vampire's stench and we tracked after it into the forest.

_Where is that damn bloodsucker taking her? Why didn't he just stay in the field?_

_That's a good question Jake. Usually they just stay put. This is a first._

We followed the trail more slowly than we normally would since we didn't want to chance loosing Bella's scent. The vampire had a good lead on us and we were all starting to think the worse.

_I've heard of take-out before, but this is ridiculous._

_SHUT UP PAUL!_

The rest of the four pack members snapped at Paul, me included. I don't think vampires do take-out, no; she was taken for another reason. And I'm pretty sure that reason had to do with that dame mosquito that broke her heart.

We kept on the odors for countless miles until the scent came to an abrupt and deadening halt. We looked out over the waves of the Puget Sound near Port Angeles and all our hearts dropped.

_Now what?_

_I'm not done searching._

_Jake, we're not suggesting we should stop looking. But we do need a plan._

_Fine, you plan…I'll keep looking for her._

I put my nose to the ground and started to trace the coast line for some kind of scent, anywhere. The leach had to come on land at some point.

_**I will not take a break until I find Bella again! **__This is my fault, if only I hadn't been avoiding her, then she probably wouldn't be in the forest alone. __**DAMN IT**__!_

_**End Notes:**  
_

Wow! It took me only a few hours to type this chapter up, maybe I was a little too eager. Is it a good start?

So where is Laurent taking Bella? What does Victoria have planned for her? Will Jacob find her…in time for who knows what?


	2. An Eye For An Eye

I don't own anything Twilight. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just playing around with her creation.

I don't have a problem with smut but I do have a problem with rape, unfortunately there is a quick rape scene marked with oOo***oOo so you can skip over it. I racked my brain trying to think of a better scenario but it was a complete blank. I'm not evil or cruel and Bella is one of my favorite characters, the occurrences are imperative to the storyline I'm sad to say.

_Previously: Bella is kidnapped by Laurent while in the meadow and taken to Victoria. Jacob and the pack go looking for her._

**Chapter 2: An Eye for an Eye**

_**Bella's Point of View**_

Every part of my body hurt, I think even my hair was aching. All I could hear was muffled voices and a quiet dripping sound as it landing into a body of water. My nose stung from the smell of rotting wood and leaves mixed with stale water. I kept my eyes closed pretending to be asleep. I tried to move my arms slightly but everything was weak or unusable.

"Oh look, she's awake."

I heard a young boy's voice and my eyes shot open. I was not prepared to see the three sets of blood red eyes staring down at me.

My eyes shot around the small shack like room quickly. I was lying on a pile of old fish nets near the opening for a boat, the four walls, ceiling, and partial floor were all of a rotting wood.

Then the movement of a flame caught my eye. Victoria. She was casually walking up to me like we were best friends, which couldn't be furthest from the truth.

"Well hello pretty girl." Her surprising soprano, babyish voice echoed in the small dimly lit room. She kneeled down in front of me, a huge, sinister smile on her face.

My eyes went wide when I saw the menacing look etched on her face. I tried to move, to sit up, but my body denied me that one request. I then realized my wrist and ankles were tied together.

"I see you remember me."

"How could I forget?" I glared at her.

She reached out and grabbed my shoulder painfully tight and pulled me into a sitting position.

"Do you know why you're here?"

"I have a fair idea. Laurent mentioned you wanting revenge against _him_."

She looked to Laurent who stood still like a statue then she looked back at me. "That's right. Edward killed my mate so I'm going to kill his."

I burst out laughing, I was laughing so hard I nearly fell over onto my side again. "Well that idea failed. I was never his mate, in fact he got bored with me and he left. He didn't want me anymore." Saying those last five words out loud hurt me more then anything else I had felt in the last nine months.

Her red eyes grew wide and they shot over to Laurent as if to verify what I had just said. He nodded to her.

"The house was empty. It has been vacant for some time now. She says they visit from time to time but I'm sure she was lying." Laurent's voice remained calm and collected.

"That's strange, with the way he defended you that day I was positive you two were connected."

"So did I," I looked to the floor as I spoke just above a whisper. Was Victoria planning on verbally torturing me? If so, it was working.

She shrugged and stood to her full height of five foot four. "Oh well, since I can't take revenge on Edward, you'll do. You were the reason for the whole mess in the first place, the one that cost me my mate."

"Maybe he shouldn't have tried to take on a coven of seven." I was starting to feel bold and courageous, which is a bad combination when you're bound tight and facing three vampires.

"That's true, but we've never come across a human that was being protected by even one vampire before." Her high pitched voice was cynical with a hint of curiosity.

Victoria pulled me to my feet and tied my wrists restraints to the wall behind and above me.

"Hmm, how should I do this? I don't want to kill you right off; I want to draw it out so you can feel my pain at loosing James."

I was annoyed at her last sentence "I do know that pain. Edward left me remember, he didn't want me."

"Yes but James can never return to me, your Edward can come back to you anytime."

"He won't…" I hung my head and spoke softly, and then the boldness came out again. "Just kill me and get it over with!" Death would be a welcome invitation to this half life I was attempting to live.

"I'll kill you quickly on one condition." Her face was even more ominous and she ran a fingernail from my ear down my cheek. I forced my face away from her, shuddering from the feel of _her_ finger against my skin. Don't get me wrong, I long for the cold skin against mine, but it was Victoria I didn't want touching me.

"Yeah, and what's that?" I glared at Victoria when she grabbed my chin too firmly in her hand and forced me to look directly at her.

"Tell me what Edward's weakness is and I'll make your death painless."

I stared at her as I thought over her words. Nearly a year ago I would have said his Achilles' heel was me but now I know that's not true. I'm not so sure he has any faults anymore, now that I'm out of the picture.

"It's the same for all vampires, fire."

"No, you naïve little girl, even vampires will have one thing that can bring about their damnation. James was his obsession for the hunt, and you saw what happened there. Laurent's is his weakness for baseball. And Riley is still a newborn so it's too early to tell what his is."

"Well if you put it that way… I. Don't. Know." I stared at her obstinately. He threw me away, so why was I bothering to protect him, I should be helping Victoria get her revenge on him. But, I still love him, terribly. And it was in my nature to protect the ones I love, I guess you could say _that_ was my flaw, and being a klutz.

I was only partially surprised when the back of a hand impacted across my cheek. She was apparently holding back her strength or my jaw would have been broken, but damn it hurt. As it was I tasted blood in my mouth, probably cut my cheek or lip. I saw Riley tense up and stare attentively at me; he started to flex his hands into fists. Laurent grabbed Riley's shoulders and held him firmly in place.

"Tell me," she growled.

"I. Don't. Know! A year ago I would have said me but now that's not the case. If you need to know something, I would say his piano." I shouted, now getting irritated.

She started chuckling; actually it was more like a cackle. "His…piano…"

"Hey, you asked. Before me, his piano was his first real -"

I was cut short by another slap to the face, in the opposite direction this time. The taste of blood was pooling in my mouth and I had to spit it out onto the ground. I had to fight off the overwhelming twisting in my stomach as the smell hit my nose. This so would not be a good time to vomit.

I heard Riley growl loudly then I gazed at him and he was struggling against Laurent's strained hold, in another pull he was free and lunging at me. Victoria caught him around the neck and stopped him.

"Not yet you don't." Victoria threw Riley onto the floor at Laurent's feet. "Take him out to feed."

Laurent helped Riley back to his feet and he forced him out the door. I glanced at Victoria when she let out a heavy sigh. She then started to pace back and forth in front of me; she seemed to be thinking out her next course of action.

"So when did you get your boy toy?" if she was planning on killing me anyways why not go out with a bang. She could hit me all she wanted but at the same time I would get a piece of her, annoy her to the very end.

She tilted her head and glared at me. "He's not a toy, he's a tool, and I got him a few months ago to help me with you." She walked up close to me, our faces so close that I could feel her breath on my face as she spoke. "I wasn't expecting to get a hold of you so soon, now I have to rethink my plans."

"What do you need to rethink? Aren't you just planning on killing me?" I glared at her as she went back to pacing.

"Yes, but now I need to change how to do it. Riley still has the uncontrollable bloodlust so I can't torture you the way I wanted to originally." She placed her fist on her hips as she swayed a path back and forth in the small boathouse. "And your not Edward's mate like I originally thought."

"Oh, pity -" before I could utter another word Victoria was kneeling in front of me and she had my left leg snapped. I bit hard on my lower lip so I wouldn't scream out; I _would not_ give her that pleasure.

"Come on; scream out, I know it has to hurt." She grinned evilly and it reminded me of when James attacked me. "SCREAM!"

"No." I grunted out through clenched teeth.

She looked up at me with a sad face and pouting red lips. "Ah, you're no fun, why not? You'll feel better if you do."

"And _you'll_ feel better if I do. I _will not_ scream out."

Victoria stood back up and rocked back and forth as she looked me over then she smiled innocently, and it was more frightening coming from her. "Can you tell me one thing then?"

"Depends on what you want to know." I tried to ignore the stabbing sting in my leg by imagining joyful thoughts but thinking of happy things only brought on a pain worse than the ache in my leg, so I would deal with my leg.

She put her arms behind her back and gazed at me from under her lashes. "Can you tell me what Edward's biggest fear is?"

I scoffed at her attempt at innocence. "Your whole not guilty act isn't working…" I winced as a sharp twinge ran through my leg. "Why do you want to know his fear anyway?"

"Would you believe I'm curious?"

I arched an eyebrow, "haven't you heard that 'curiosity killed the cat'."

Victoria started laughing. "You're funny. I can see why you were kept around. I was just wondering if I could take advantage of his greatest fear."

"And why should I tell you?" I wrapped my hands around the rope restraining my wrists to lessen the amount of pressure applied to my legs.

"Edward left you right, told you he didn't want you, did he not?" I looked away from her since she was studying me with her eyes. "That had to hurt. I would think you would want to get revenge against him. I know I would."

"I'm not you, thank god."

She then jabbed me in the ribs and I heard and felt a crack. I chomped down onto my lip so hard I was tasting blood again.

"JUST TELL ME!" she shouted.

I took several deep breaths to make sure I wouldn't pass out. "And what good would me telling you do? I won't be around to see the revenge enacted." My voice was starting to crack and I was starting to breathe heavier and heavier.

"You'll have the satisfaction of knowing. NOW TELL ME!" she grasped my throat and held it firmly in her cold hand.

If I was going to die protecting the one I love, so be it. Yes I was scared but the knowledge that he would be all right was enough for me. None of them would have to worry about me anymore; I would literally cease to exist.

"Why won't you just tell me?" Victoria eased up on her grasp so I could speak.

"I will _never_ betray the one's I love…" I looked her directly in the eyes and dared her to do her worst. "It won't do you the smallest amount of good anyways."

She ripped my rope manacles from the wooden wall and pushed my head into the nearby water. She held me there for about a minute and still I refused to tell her what his fear was. She repeated that process another twenty times and twenty times I refused her request.

She pulled me from the water and left me lying in pain, shuddering on the rotting floor. The ache in my leg and ribs was excruciating. The only thing that helped to alleviate it was the fact that soon I would have no pain at all.

"I can keep this up for months, but you can't. If you tell me his fear then I'll end your pain quickly…if he doesn't love you anymore why are you being so loyal to him?"

I turned my head away from her and focused on the pile of nets laid askew on the floor. A single traitor's tear escaped from my eye. Why _was_ I continuing to be loyal? He had broken all his promises that day in the forest. He had left me broken and destroyed in that forest in hope that I wouldn't get sucked into his world more than I already had. Surprise, surprise, despite what he wanted; here I was, lying broken and destroyed by another vampire. He had failed me in every sense of the meaning. It felt like my heart was in a vise as I made my final revelation.

"Okay," I whispered and wrapped my arms over my face. "What he feared the most was me losing my mortality."

I was surprised when she burst out laughing. "Are you kidding me?" I shook my head. "You mean to tell me that he would not change you but he feared your death as well. What a hypocrite."

I heard the door open and close and figured Laurent and Riley had returned.

"So basically, he wanted his cake and eat it too." I nodded and I heard her move across the room. "You're right; it doesn't do me any good."

Soon she would execute me and I would have no more pain whatsoever. All I could think about was that he had brought this upon himself.

"Riley, you can have her now. Do what you want with her."

My arms flew away from my face and I looked at Victoria and Laurent as they left, closing the door behind them. I was terror stricken when I noticed Riley had started to walk slowly toward me. His eyes were black with hunger for something that wasn't blood. I tried to scoot away, to find something to defend myself, but what could I possible find to ward off a vampire.

oOo***oOo

Within a matter of seconds Riley had me striped down to only the rope binding my wrists. He stared down at me as I tried to crawl away, he smirked. He quickly relieved himself of his clothes and forcible grabbed me by the hips. All the kicking and screaming I was doing meant nothing to Riley; it didn't faze him in the least bit.

A second later I heard a rip and a bloodcurdling scream. I had been told it would hurt a little at first then it would pass but this overpowering and forceful entry caused more then the small pain I was warned about. I was now crying profusely, this was hurting more than my broken leg or rib combined. I was miserably grateful when Riley held me a bit too roughly and I heard a snap, there was no more pain, and there was no more anything in my body. He continued to thrust vigorously into me and the room was starting to go fuzzy.

oOo***oOo

Thank goodness, I was about to black out. My spine was broke so I could die without pain or seeing Riley as I go.

My final thought before the end should be of the people I love. Charlie, Renée, Alice, Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Jacob…Edward. Figures, now I can say his name.

On my last visages before complete darkness over took me I whispered, "Edward, I love you…"

* * *

_**Alice's Point of View**_

When the vision ended, the force of it knocked me off the bed. Jasper was by my side picking me up off the floor in an instant.

"What just happened?" he questioned me as he sat me back down on the bed mattress.

"It's Bella, something is wrong." I jumped over to the side table and pressed speed dial then flew the phone to my ear. "Something is terribly wrong." I started to shake as I waited for him to pick up his phone.

I heard a click then shouting, "What do you want Alice?"

"Something is wrong with Bella." I could feel concern and unease start to consume me and I was incredibly frightened.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO LOOK FOR HER!"

"I wasn't looking for her, it just came to me. The vision was so powerful it knocked me to the floor."

"Fine, tell me so you can leave me alone."

"Edward, Bella is gone, I can't see her anymore, even when I _do_ try." Jasper put his arms around my shoulders to calm some of my hysteria since his gift wasn't working.

"What do you mean, you can't see her?"

"Just that, one minute I see her in unbelievable agony then everything becomes a purplish fog. That's all I can see now, the fog." I had a very bad feeling about this.

"Is she -"

"No," I interrupted him. "If she was dead I couldn't even see the fog. It would just be black, like someone had turned off a television. She's alive but I don't know what type of condition she's in." There was a really long pause then I heard some rustling on the other line.

"Okay, I'm on my way. Keep looking for her, it might just be temporary."

The call was ended and I sat in a daze, still not being able to see my best-friend. I threw my arms around Jasper's neck and clung to him tightly. "Jasper I'm scared."

"Believe me, I know. You're so frightened that I can barely make a dent in it." He spoke quietly into my ear and ran a hand down my short hair soothingly.

I pulled away from him suddenly and lunged into my closet. "I know what I need to do."

"Alice?" he said worried and watched from the doorway of our walk-in closet.

"I'm going to Forks."

* * *

_**Chapter End Notes:**_

I hope everyone isn't mad at me for what I did to Bella. I'll redeem myself later, I hope.

If Bella isn't dead than what does the fog mean?


	3. Hell Has Frozen Over

I don't own anything Twilight. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just playing around with her creation.

_Previously: Bella is tortured by Victoria, she then lets Riley have at her. Alice has a vision of Bella in pain then nothing but fog._

**Chapter 3: Hell Has Frozen Over**

_**Alice's Point of View**_

You know the situation is bad when even a vampire is terrified. It had taken me and Jasper three long, excruciating days to drive to an airport so we could fly to Washington. After almost a year we were finally back in the small, close knit town of Forks.

Nothing had changed. It was still the same cloudy, lazy, outdated town we left it in. it was the same town that caused my brother to finally come to life, the same town that had later demolished our family and devastated my brother.

To this day, I still thought leaving Bella was the worse thing we could do. And now that I couldn't see her, even when I tried, only solidified that thought. For the past three days I had spent every moment attempting to find even a glimpse of my best friend…nothing.

Jasper had tried on several occasions to calm me but my grief was too great that even my dear husband gave in frequently. Most of the time he would just hold me while on the plane or hold my hand while driving, while I cried tearlessly. Good thing there weren't any real tears or I would have ruined Jasper's shirt, heck with that, under the circumstanced, it can be ruined.

We pulled our rented Mercedes up to the Swan residence. Bella's monster of a truck was parked in the driveway and to my surprise; the police cruiser was parked behind it. It was only two in the afternoon, he shouldn't be home yet.

My uneasiness and dread rose as I exited the car, Jasper joined me and together we walked up to the door. I hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door. As soon as I rapped on the door there was a loud crashing sound from inside and I could make out the sound of feet hitting the floor rapidly. The door opened so rapidly that it pulled the air around me, stirring up my hair.

"Bells -" Charlie looked panicked and his eyes had black circles under them like he hadn't slept in a month. For lack of a better description, he looked like hell warmed over.

"Alice?"

I knew it was coming and accepted it. In the next instant, Charlie had wrapped his arms around my shoulders and he sobbed uncontrollably. After about a minute Charlie calmed down significantly, apparently Jasper had gotten fed up with Charlie's hanging on to me. Charlie straightened himself but kept his hands on my shoulders.

"Charlie, what happened? I have a bad feeling that something happened to Bella." I asked cautiously and Charlie looked like he was about to start crying again. From his reaction I could tell something _had_ occurred to my best friend.

He pulled me inside and indicated for Jasper to follow. He sat me down on the couch while he sat down in front of me, Jasper stood behind me.

Charlie took a pained breath. "We don't know what happened? We don't even know where she is."

"WHAT?! What do you mean you don't know?" now I was in shock. I couldn't see her and no one knew where she was. Someone can't just fall off my radar like that. I knew she was alive but in what state was she? I could only see fog, which had never happened to me before. I was shaking my head violently, trying to will away the fact that my friend was missing.

"About two days ago, at breakfast, Bella mentioned celebrating a birthday and that she would be home in time for dinner. She had a genuine smile on her face for the first time since you all left." He stopped for a breath.

I felt my dead heart tighten. She wasn't happy, she never really smiled anymore. I warned him that this would happen.

"When she didn't return by ten I started to call around. No one had seen her. I called the station and they took down the information. Yesterday morning everyone started searching. We looked all over town, La Push, Port Angeles, no sign of her. We received a call later that evening from a hiker saying he had found a backpack then later he found a red Chevy truck. I think I broke the speed limit trying to get to his location. It was Bella's truck. The hiker showed us to the spot he found the backpack, but there was absolutely nothing in that field. No signs of a struggle, no blood, no foreign objects, nothing that would give us a clue to where she was." He paused as he searched for more words. "My deputy drove the truck back here then we went back to the station to put out the Amber Alert and make posters. I'm here right now, just in case she comes home."

I instantly wrapped my arms around Charlie's waist as I started to cry, I so wanted to shed tears right now, then maybe it would help me feel better. I felt Jasper touch my shoulder in hope of concentrating his calm wave through me directly. It helped but just a tad. I had so many questions to ask Charlie, that maybe together we could find Bella.

I pulled back to look into his miserable face. "Do you suppose she ran away?"

"No. if she wanted to do that I could see her going to the city or running south. Not to the middle of nowhere." Charlie shook his head slightly.

"Was she suicidal?" I was scared to hear the answer but I needed to know what frame of mind Bella was in when she went missing.

"Surprisingly no, when you guys left I feared she would resort to that -" his eyes narrowed as they focused on me. "Why are you here anyways, now of all times?"

I felt my chest constrict that her father was afraid that his only child would take her own life. And it was our fault entirely. He had failed to keep her safe like he had hoped, quite the opposite really. Instead of being killed by supernatural forces, she was endangering her own life. We had failed her in so many ways, and now I can't even check on her, all I see is that damn murkiness.

"Alice had a very terrible feeling that something was wrong with Bella. When she didn't answer the phone the other day the only option we had was to come check for ourselves. It appears she was right, unfortunately." Jasper's hands squeezed my shoulders as he answered Charlie's question.

I had a very fleeting vision or Charlie yelling at us and going into hysterics, this was about to turn ugly and I braced myself.

"Do any of you know how devastated my daughter was, is, when you left? For four months she barely ate, didn't talk, she stop listening to music, heck, she barely came out of her room. No one can even say _his_ name around her without her freaking out. You all destroyed her, but your brother was the worse. They could have had a long distance relationship, letters, phone calls, visits. But no, he had to rip her heart out, chew on it then spit it back on the ground at her feet. She still isn't right, sure now she goes out and does things but I can tell her smile is forced. I still hear her screaming in the middle of the night, always calling out for him not to leave her. She'll wrap her arms around herself at the slightest reminder of him, it's like she's trying to keep herself from falling to pieces. I've been debating the idea of getting her some help, a psychiatrist or a facility. She refused vehemently not to return to Renee's; she wanted to remain her in case you decided to come back. She kept saying you all wouldn't do very well in LA then she would laugh cynically. I had no idea how attached she was to that boy till he left her and she went catatonic. I no longer have a daughter; I have a doll that looks like her. I see now that when you guys left, she lost her other family, her best friend…her reason for living." Charlie had his hands in his hair and he was tugging very hard. He then whispered his next sentence, "you could have stayed in touch with her."

I could have sworn I felt my motionless heart shattering as Charlie recounted the last nine months of what it was like with Bella. I didn't know what to say. Edward had hoped she would forget about him and move on to a happy, safe life with a human. She was far from happy and I'm sure, she was far from safe.

I tried to look into Charlie's downcast eyes but failed. I hugged him around the shoulders tightly. "I told him this would happen, that she wouldn't forget him, or couldn't rather. We had impacted her life as much as she did ours. Without her in our lives, our family has disintegrated, nearly everyone going in there own direction, not talking. I told him we should stay, that we should have stayed. He honestly believed that she would be safer away from him, that the reason she kept getting hurt was become of him -"

"She hurts herself walking between her room and the bathroom." Charlie interrupted.

"I told him that." I hung my head, on the verge of more sobs.

"And he still felt the need to completely devastate her?!" he snapped back.

"That wasn't his intention. He hoped she would find happiness again with another."

"He apparently doesn't know Bella very well than, if he thought she was some fickle girl who would attach herself to the next guy that came along. For as long as I can remember, once she found something she was passionate about she stuck with it. Ballet was Renee's idea and it didn't work out. She's passionate about reading and writing…and now that damn motorcycle -"

"WAIT, are you saying Bella's been riding a motorbike?" Jasper nearly shouted his question, stunned at the change Bella had made.

"Yes…she doesn't know that I knew already," Charlie's voice was rough as he glanced at me and Jasper. "I'm afraid that she's trying to find a way to let go…of everything."

The room fell silent and I started replaying in my mind everything that Charlie had said. Bella had gone missing a couple of days ago. A hiker had found her backpack in a field…

"Charlie, where did you say her stuff was found?" I looked at him curiously.

His eyes went wide at hearing my tone and question. "Her truck was parked on an old logging road outside of town and her backpack was found in a field a few miles east of it."

"What was in her bag?" I had a sinking suspicion.

"Just a blanket, a bottle of water and a dirty plate, why?" he eyed me suspiciously.

I couldn't believe I didn't see it sooner. "What day did Bella go missing?"

"June 20th. What does that have to do with anything?" Charlie was getting annoyed and you could hear the irritation in his voice.

"Bella was at their special place celebrating _his_ birthday."

"Oh," was all Charlie said.

"But that still doesn't explain the fact that she's missing now." Jasper reminded me.

"Yeah, I know," I dropped my chin to my chest as I contemplated over the possibilities. I looked at Charlie hopefully. "Would it be alright if we went to the meadow and had a look around? Fresh eyes might be helpful."

"Sure, go for it. Just let me know if you find anything."

I stood up and gave Charlie a hug around his shoulders again. "Absolutely."

In the next few minutes we were in the car speeding down the road to where I had seen the meadow located in my vision over a year ago. Jasper let me drive so I wouldn't have to give him directions. In another ten minutes we were parked in the same spot as the truck had been yesterday.

We climbed out of the car and didn't sense or smell anything, apparently neither had Jasper.

"Let's head to the meadow." He said bluntly and took my hand and we ran into the forest.

He let me lead since I had seen it and we wouldn't get lost.

Once we emerged into the dry, desolate opening I was nearly knocked off my feet. The stench of werewolves was overwhelming. Jasper grabbed my shoulders and steadied me. Once he was certain I would stay upright he stalked cautiously into the middle of the clearing. His nose twitched several times as he walked around, searching for more scents.

"I can definitely smell Bella, her scent is mingled with another vampire's and they are both overlaid with several werewolves. Because of the wolves I can't tell in which direction she left in, or if she was alone, or even if she left willingly." Leave it to an army general to be the detective.

I immediately reached into my pocket for my phone and dialed Charlie's number.

"Hello?" his voice was panicked and hopeful.

"Sorry Charlie, its Alice." I could tell he was hoping I was Bella.

"Oh Alice, did you find anything new?"

"Maybe. Have there been any sightings of wolves lately?" I was dreading the answer.

"I'm not sure. We've had several hikers report about a large bear -"

"It wasn't a bear, it was wolves -"

"WHAT, how can you tell?" now he was fearful of what we had found.

"We've been around wolves, we've been working at the zoo in the wolves' enclosure, and we recognized the smell. Charlie, there is no sign of Bella. I think -"

"DON'T. SAY. IT." That was all he said before the line went dead.

Maybe it was a good thing. How was I supposed to tell him his daughter was possibly abducted by werewolves and killed? Or became a meal for a vampire? There were no words to explain any of this.

I fell to my knees and screamed at the top of my lungs. Jasper was by my side in a blink. I could feel his calming aura but it had no affect on me what so ever. The heaving weeping started then. I had no idea where my best friend was, she was lost to me. If only I hadn't listened to Edward, if only I had kept an eye on her, if only I hadn't left her behind as well.

I felt Jasper cradle me in his arms. "We should get back and inform everyone about this unfortunate occurrence." He whispered quietly into my hair before he sprinted into the trees.

I hadn't even noticed I was sitting in the car going down the road till we were almost to the SeaTac airport. My system was still in shock. If I felt like this way over my best friend, I knew it would be worse for Edward. The only thing I was happy about was the fact that he wasn't with us in Forks; even I couldn't picture what his reaction would have been. I know it will still be terrible when he watches it like a movie in my head, and I was scared.

* * *

_**???'s Point of View**_

I awoke on a pile of moldy fishnets. The smell was horrible and I thought I would vomit from the stench. I gazed around the small rundown room. I was alone, naked, and in a place I didn't know.

"Do you think three days is long enough for her to have recuperated some? I bet she needs some water. Humans need water." I heard a sultry baritone voice that was coming from outside the room I was in.

"I say we just kill her now and get it over with, then we can look for her mate -" Another male voice, but this one sounded younger.

"Not yet, I want some more information out of her before I kill her. Don't worry, she'll be dead by tonight." A woman's voice cut off the younger male.

Were they talking about me? Was I scheduled to die tonight?

I frantically looked around the room for some way to escape. The three people were outside so I couldn't very well go through the door and I'm sure they would hear me climbing out the window. All the boards on the wall were rotted but hey were still intact so removing one would be loud. My eyes then landed on the half submerged boat in the water.

I silently scooted over to the edge of the deck and looked over the water. It was only a foot below me and on the other side of the broken decomposing gate was the waterway that led out to the river.

If I was to survive, this was my only option.

I slowly and noiselessly sank into the tepid water. I was surprised when my feet touched the bottom and I wadded out though a crack in the gate. I was surprised again to see the rivers current was exceptionally fast. I decided instead of fighting the flow I would let the current take me as far away from this place as fast as it could. I slowly moved out toward the middle till the river trapped me in its strong clutches and threw me into the turbulent waters.

I think I had gone down river several miles when I heard the heartrending howl of a wolf from somewhere behind me.

I wasn't about to let three voices murder me for something I didn't do…I think.

* * *

_**Jacob's Point of View**_

I think it was maybe the third or fourth day I had spent tracking after Bella. I had left the pack behind to continue my search. Let them plan for all I care; I was going to find Bella, that was _my _plan.

I had run down the coast line till I hit the Pacific Ocean and I turned around to check the other direction. I was a few miles west of Port Angeles when I got a faint whiff of my target. I stopped dead in my tracks. I sniffed at the scent repeatedly to make sure it was her.

_I found her scent get here NOW!_

_What, really? Where are you?_

_Just west of Port Angeles. HURRY!_

_Keep your fur on._

That was easy for Sam to say, his best friend hadn't been abducted by bloodsuckers. I silently stalked toward the lovely, floral fragrance that was mingled with a fowl, disgusting odor. I lay down on my belly and crept closer.

I became enraged when I say three leaches standing outside an old boathouse. They were discussing what they done to Bella and what they were still planning on doing to her.

_Jake we're almost there. Don't do anything, just wait._

_There are three leaches outside a boathouse. Bella is inside, they've been torturing her._

I heard several mental growls along with my own. I thought I was going to be sick when I heard the younger male describe how he had taken his turn torturing her. My poor, sweet, innocent Bella, she would never get over being…I couldn't even say the word. I hated to admit it but at least her leach had never taken liberties with her body by force.

_Jake are you ready to take them down?_

_I want the blond!_ I snarled my statement.

_Sure but why?_

_He…he…Bella…he…_ I knew even if I couldn't say the word they would know what I was talking about, gotta love a pack mind, sometimes.

Before I could attempt to finish my sentence the other four members of the pack had sprung from the trees, startling the vampires. The blond male was trying to protect the woman from Sam. I lunged for the blond, leaving the woman unprotected. I let Sam and Quil have at her. Paul and Embry were already dismembering the dark male.

The blond boy below me looked frighteningly up at me with his crimson eyes. He didn't look more than eighteen, twenty tops, pity. This boy had to have been new, he had no fighting skills what so ever and I made quick work of him.

After I was done with my revenge for Bella I looked around to see how the others were doing. Paul and Embry were already done and sat patiently, looking happy. Sam and Quil had just finished as well, making sure the pieces were very small, I think they went a little overboard, but they looked satisfied.

_Get Bella._

They didn't have to tell me twice. I burst the door down, still in wolf form. I felt my heart stop as I looked around the empty room. I followed my nose to the pile of nets where Bella's scent was the strongest, and that's where it stayed. It didn't meander around the room or wonder off, her scent just stopped here, literally.

I had a sinking feeling I had lost her.

_**Chapter End Notes:**_

So, how was it?

How will Edward react to what Alice and Jasper learned about Bella? What will happen to Bella? Will she be safe now that the vamp trio is dog food?

**NOTE:** Since Twitter has become a huge fad lately, I've decided to keep people informed on how my stories are progressing. Come follow me: **kaghanyou**.


	4. A Time for Everything

I don't own anything Twilight. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just playing around with her creation.

_Previously: Alice and Jasper visit Charlie and get the details on Bella's disappearance. Bella wakes to hear talk about being killed and escapes. The wolf pack arrives at the boathouse and destroys Victoria, Riley and Laurent, but find no Bella._

**Chapter 4: A Time for Everything**

_**Edward's Point of View**_

This had better not be some concocted ploy to get me home or there would be hell to pay.

After I had left Bella, I had disappeared to South America where I would pine for a love I had thrown away. Every single second of every single day I regretted my decision to leave. No one in my family was happy, in fact they were out right vindictive, my only solace was in the thought that Bella would get over me and be safe.

But every time I would picture Bella happy with someone else, my motionless heart felt like it was being cut from my chest with a dull serrated knife. I would double over and fall to my knees at every mental smile or imagined laugh that she would bestow upon some other guy. This is what I had wanted. Her life was in danger with every minute she was around me. There was a saying 'if you love someone, let them go,' and I _do_ love her. Now that I let her go she could be with a human and she could have a happy normal life.

Not once did I think she would still be in jeopardy. Is that what had happened, was she in danger now? Is that why Alice can't see her anymore? Maybe she was in a coma, that would explain the fog, or maybe she had made a decision to be invisible. I would just have to wait for my sister to return.

I sat on the tan couch in our Ontario home with my hands fisted in my hair. Alice and Jasper were expected home within the hour, and then I would learn about Bella's condition. I was such a fool for leaving her, it was apparent now that nothing good came out of me leaving.

I remained on the couch for the whole hour, going over and over in my head the scenarios for the fog. Car accident, swimming accident, wishing to be invisible, figuratively dead…it was an endless list.

"Edward?" a small voice was spoken softly from behind me.

I spun in my seat toward the voice. Alice was standing behind the couch with a very serious and hopeless expression. Jasper had his hands on her shoulders as if to support her or hold her upright. Before I could stand and come to her, she had flung herself at me, sending me to the floor in front of the couch.

Alice started pummeling my chest with all her might and she was sobbing profoundly.

"IT'S YOUR FAULT ENTIRELY. YOU NEVER SHOULD HAVE LEFT HER. SHE WAS IN EVEN MORE DANGER AFTER WE LEFT. SHE'S GONE, she's gone…she's gone…" her voice started out yelling but now it was a whisper. She continued to repeat 'she's gone' over and over again.

"Alice, explain what happened? Since you won't let me see." I urged her to speak. The rest of my family had gathered at hearing Alice's shouting.

"Bella went missing a week ago. Guess where she was and what she was doing at the time?" she glared at me, daring me to answer.

Missing as of a week ago? From the tone of Alice's voice and the anger in her eyes, I could only guess the circumstances weren't good. I ended up vocalizing the only answer I had for her.

"She was on a date with some boy. Did he kidnap her?" I was irate now, how dare someone kidnap my Bella. I was kicked hard in the head by Jasper who had come and sat down on the sofa next to us.

"Thank you Jazz," she looked at her husband then glared back down at me. "No, she wasn't on a date, quite the opposite actually. She was in _your_ meadow celebrating _your_ birthday by _her self_."

I cringed each time she emphasized a word. Bella had been out celebrating my birthday? She had managed to find our meadow, I thought it was well hidden and miles from the main road. I dreaded what she might have gone through to find our special place.

"What else, she didn't just walk off in the wrong direction did she?" Alice closed her eyes and shook her head violently. She looked completely destroyed and heartbroken.

"No," she whispered that one solitary word shakily.

"We smelled another vampire," stated Jasper in a forced cool manner. "And there were several wolves."

"WHAT!?" I stood up so suddenly that it knocked Alice to the floor. There were several gasps and growls at Jasper's statement. My eyes and mind were all over the place. What had I done? I tried to save Bella from a life time of hurt with me and I had practically gift wrapped her and handed her off to some overgrown fleabags. Now she was missing, at least with me we knew where she was. God, I have seriously messed things up.

"We couldn't tell what happened. By the time we got to the meadow her scent was too diluted and the smell of wolf was overpowering. We couldn't tell if Bella was taken by the vampire or the wolves. There was no blood so nothing perilous happened there." I winced at Jaspers blunt comment and the thought of her blood being anywhere aside from under her paper thin skin made me sick.

"Edward, there is something else you really must know." Alice spoke sensitively again from my side. "Bella may not be physically dead, but in all other aspects she is. She died when we left. Charlie told us that she never truly smiled, never went out, barely ate, and never listened to music anymore. He feared she would take her own life; he was debating a shrink or facility. He holds you solely responsible for destroying his daughter. The day she left for the meadow was the first time he saw a genuine smile from her." She let the images of her talk with Charlie visible to me as she spoke.

I sank to the floor as I saw Charlie retelling how lost his daughter was. How badly I had torn her up. She would scream my name at night and no one was allowed to say my name for fear that she would freak out again. She would hold her self tightly like she was falling apart. He said he no longer had a daughter; he had a doll look alike. When I had extracted myself from her life I had taken her very reason for living. I had killed Bella!

Charlie was right. I didn't know her very well if I thought she would forget me so quickly and easily. I knew she loved me desperately, to the point that she would give up her mortal life to be with me for eternity.

She had offered me a once in a lifetime gift and I threw it away. If only I had accepted her wishes, she would be with us right now, and we would be more in love than ever. I truly am a monster! I had destroyed a pure and innocent girl deeply in love all because I refused to make her into a monster and I was scared for her safety.

I leaned forward and pulled on my hair savagely.

"We'll find Bella," Alice stated with certainty and conviction.

Her words did little to comfort me. Alice couldn't see Bella anymore so how could we find her. We had no definite clues as to her whereabouts or her kidnapper. Hopefully Alice had a plan because I didn't.

All I could think about was that now no one was happy and Bella was missing.

* * *

_**???'s Point of View**_

Where am I? Why was I naked? Where am I going?

I had these questions and more, but for now, finding clothes was my first priority. After I had escaped my unknown murders and _ridden_ down the river I found myself floating in a large bay. I hid from all pairs of lurking eyes.

The sky was just turning dark, nightfall was upon me and I hid in the darker shadows as I made my way to shore. I stayed behind trees and walls till I found what I was looking for.

Not far from the shore was a woman standing in the porch light in her backyard pulling clothes off the line. I licked my lips in concentration as I watched her moving around and scooting the basket with her foot. I was startled when I heard a young voice hollering from inside the house and the woman quickly went inside. Now was my chance. In a blink I was over the short fence and snagged the basket then hopped back over the fence. I ran down the bank and leaned against a taller fence as I rummaged through the basket.

I was incredibly delighted to find clothing that looked my size. I grabbed a pair of panties and a light blue tie dye sundress*. I quickly put on the clothes then ran the basket back down the bank. The woman was still in the house so I snuck the basket back over the fence then quickly took my leave.

I escaped into the nearby forest. I had no idea why I was hiding - it was in inherent urge to not be seen, to stay invisible. As I was walking through the forest I noticed an itchy, burning feeling in my throat. I followed the scent of water and found a small stream of mountain run-off. I kneeled down by the waters edge and scooped up a handful of water and let the icy liquid trickle down my throat.

I immediately choked on the water and spit it out. My stomach started to turn in circles. Was this water bad? It didn't smell like it. I stood up and darted further into the forest in search of clean water. I came across several streams and lakes and every time I had the same reaction. After about a hundred miles and fifty attempts at a drink, I gave up; I would look for a house and ask for a cup of water. I still had that annoying itchy and burning feeling along the length of my throat.

I had no sense of direction of where to go, or where I _wanted_ to go. I had no explanation for why I was in that boathouse, how I got there, or who was planning on killing me. I had no idea what I was doing or when all this confusion started or when it would end.

I had spent the last few days running around in the forest, faster than I normally would and I never tired, and I haven't been sleeping like I should be, nor did I have to relieve myself, from what I remembered, I had to do these things before.

I sat down by the base of a tree and laid my head back against the trunk. I looked up into the night sky and marveled over the amount of brilliant stars dotting the blackened outer space. The lack of lights must be making the stars more visible.

I was brought to attention by a quiet rustling sound to my right. I instinctively crouched low on the ground, my eyes never leaving the spot the noise had come from.

* * *

_**Tanya's Point of View**_

I couldn't believe Kate had dragged me all the way to Whitehorse, all for her morbid hunger for a Kodiak. We had several bears up in Denali, but no, she wanted a Kodiak. Sometimes I swear her and Emmett Cullen were cut from the same cloth.

Suddenly a smell wafted in our direction and I was immediately alert. That was a scent that shouldn't be out here in Canada, as far as I knew.

"Kate, stop…" I ordered Kate quickly and she froze mid-step.

Kate turned her head to look at me as she whispered. "What is it Tanya?"

"Shhhhh," I held a finger up to my mouth to silence Kate, then I slowly stalked in the direction the scent was coming from. It was definitely getting stronger.

I peered through some bushes and saw a teenage girl curled up next to a tree. I slowly walked toward her, not wanting to scare her. I cursed myself when a branch snapped under my foot and the girl sprang into action. She crouched low to the ground and looked unswervingly in my direction. I could now see the girl better due to her defensive position. She wore a blue tie dye dress that reached to her thigh and no shoes. She was amazingly dirty. She had dark brown hair that reached mid-back and her eyes had a sliver of bright crimson around them, which meant she was a newborn or she lived off humans.

I held my hands up in surrender and stepped out of the bushes. "I won't hurt you. You have nothing to fear from us, we're not dangerous."

She relaxed by only a fraction. "Us?" she growled out.

"My sister and I are out hunting bears. Kate, come here please, slowly." She obeyed and was standing by my side looking as surprised as I was at the girl. "You look thirsty. Haven't you had anything to drink in the last week or so?"

She looked stunned for a second, like my question was a mystery to her. "Every time I get a drink, the water tastes rancid and I choke on it."

Water? Why was she drinking water? Of course she would choke on it. I looked at Kate and she was as confused as I was.

"Why were you drinking water?" I was so mystified by this girl and at the same time I was intrigued.

"I was thirsty, duh,"

"If you were thirsty you should have been drinking blood. Did your maker not tell you that?" with each question I asked, this girl bewildered me even more.

"Why would I drink blood? Maker…do you mean my parents?" the girl asked calmly.

She seemed relaxed now, no crouch, no growl, no threatening manner.

Does she not know what she is? Was she made then abandoned? I'll kill the person that did this. This girl looks so young and innocent it's such a shame that she was brought into this world. I was unknowingly drawn to this innocent creature; there was something about her that made me want to protect her.

"Before we get away with ourselves, I'm Tanya and this is my sister Kate. And your name is?" I asked with an honest smile.

She looked at us with a blank expression for a surprisingly long amount of time. "B…Be…B…Be…" she stuttered as she shook her head violently. "That's all I remember, why can't I remember." She fell to her knees and looked at the ground in shock.

I rushed to her side, the instinct to protect this girl overruling every precaution I may have had. I held her shoulders till she calmed down. "Do you remember anything? Where you're from, who made you, why you're in Canada?"

She shook her head no, "all I can remember is being lonely and a lush forest of green."

I held her like a mother would hold her child till the sky started to lighten and dawn arrived. I brushed some of her brown tresses out of her face and looked down at her ruby red eyes.

"Does your throat still burn?" she nodded her head while it rested on my shoulder. "I can help you get something to drink if you follow me. Can we call you Bee?" she nodded again and we rose to our feet.

"Coming Kate, you might find your Kodiak." I winked at her playfully as I took Bee by the hand and pulled her into the surrounding forest. We only ran about a mile when I picked up the scent of a nearby herd.

I stopped suddenly and Bee stopped next to me, a curious look in her eyes. I turned and stepped in front of her, smiling. "Close your eyes…" hesitant at first, Bee closed her eyes. "Listen to your instincts. What do you hear?"

I watched as she took a deep breath then let it out. "I hear you and Kate breathing. There is a slight wind blowing through the trees. I think a squirrel is running around on a tree branch…it sounds like someone is playing a drum nearby."

I smirked when she tilted her head to the side in uncertainty. "Good, now, what do you smell?"

Her eyebrows scrunched together in concentration. "Pine trees, dirt, dead leaves, rain…I think it's going to rain tonight." I chuckled at her random thought. I smiled widely as she took a deep sniff. "What is that?" her eyes shot open and focused on me then they darted to the left of her.

"Does it smell good, is your mouth watering?" I said quietly, urging her and she nodded. "Then go get -" she was gone before I could finish my sentence. Kate and I took off after her.

We found Bee hunched over a large elk with her mouth latched onto its neck. She pulled back and looked down at the dead animal, her eyes went large.

"What have I done…why…?" she fell over backwards and scurried away from the animal.

"Bee, that's what vampires eat, it's natural." Kate told her straightforwardly.

"WHAT?! That's not possible - he would never let me change into a vampire." Bee had pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"He who?" now I was getting really worried.

Bee's eyes became unhinged and she looked at the ground in front of her but she wasn't seeing. "I…don't…know…"

Kate leaned in and spoke softly over my shoulder as we both watched the poor frightened girl. "Is it possible for a vampire to have amnesia?"

I shrugged, "it would appear so. Her human life might have been very dramatic or she had an unusually traumatic change. Either way, we need to get her home. And I need to make a rather important phone call. I think we need to call in an expert."

_**Chapter End Notes:**_

So, what do you all think?

Can a vampire have amnesia? Who is the expert that Tanya is calling in?


	5. Be Careful What You Say

I don't own anything Twilight. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just playing around with her creation.

_**This is my Christmas present to all my fabulous readers. I really hope you enjoy this and have fun for the holidays.**_

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_Previously: Edward learns about what Bella was going through for the last nine months and about her disappearance. Tanya and Kate stumble across a mystery girl in the woods, she's definitely a vampire and she seems to have amnesia.

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**Chapter 5: Be Careful What You Say**

_**Bee's Point of View**_

I couldn't believe I had been with Tanya and her family for five months now. Everyone had taken me in with open arms and loving smiles. No one really cared about my missing past. Sure everyone was curious at first, about my identity, my past, my creator, but that all dwindled away like the days had.

I still couldn't believe I was actually a vampire, a real, blood drinking, dazzling vampire. I still had no memory of who it was that never wanted me turned but I could vaguely remember fighting with the person about it, a lot. I knew the change was something I had longed for but I couldn't remember why.

The only thing I could recall was being alone in a lush forest, then everything after I awoke in the boathouse. It wasn't much to go on but Tanya and Eleazar spent a lot of their time looking for answers I was afraid would never be answered.

After five months of drinking the blood of animals, my eyes had turned to a rich golden color. I now felt more like a member of this gentle and caring family than when they first took me in.

Everyone was greatly pleased at how well I was doing when a human came near, usually delivering mail or packages, or a Jehovah's Witness, which I found incredibly ironic. Humans just had no appeal to me. They had a dirty, unwashed odor, even when they wore perfume; something about their scent reminded me of a wet dog or a bag of dirty laundry.

Much to my surprise, everyone had agreed to test my urges for human blood fully, or lack there of. They had decided that a long awaited trip to town was in order; they wanted to buy me some things as well. They mainly wanted to get me clothes since my body was smaller than everyone else's, all the clothes I had at the moment were too big.

We were all sitting in Tanya's mini van heading for Fairbanks. I was allowed shotgun so I could see the scenery better. It took us about five hours thanks to Eleazar wanting a moose.

I was surprised by the massive size of the city. There were buildings bigger and taller than our house. For some unknown reason I was feeling homesick. Everyone started chuckling when they noticed me practically bouncing in my seat.

Tanya pulled into a little strip mall on the outskirts of town. "I guess we start here. Bee, you can get out now, just remember to stay calm."

Ever since Tanya found me in Canada she was like a mother to me, always protective, always teaching, and always loving. Kate was like a big sister with the way she always played around and teased me. Irina, Carmen and Eleazar were like aunts and an uncle. They had become my family.

Kate grabbed my hand and pulled me into a little clothing store. She immediately started holding shirts and dresses up to my chest, sizing them. This eager shopping style felt very familiar and tiring. She found several outfits for me and several more for herself. The scent of blood from the other shoppers and clerk didn't lure me in the slightest.

We left the store and walked down the boardwalk, enjoying the warm, overcast day. Tanya came flying out of a store in front of us and started running toward us.

"Bee, I got you something," Tanya smiled widely as she held up a necklace. Dangling from the chain was a delicate jeweled bumblebee*.

"Oh Tanya, it's so sweet." I brought my fingers up to touch the dainty little bug. Tanya quickly maneuvered around me and fastened the chain around my neck. I grabbed the bee and held it up to look more closely at it.

"Tanya, there you are. Looks like Bee is doing incredibly well," Carmen looked me over up and down with a cheerful smile.

I returned her smile. "Yep, no thirst whatsoever. In fact they smell disgusting to me."

Eleazar came up behind Carmen toting several shopping bags, he looked completely defeated. "Are we about done here?"

I didn't even register Eleazar's question as a silver sedan, hatchback pulled into a spot directly behind him. I felt my eyes dilate as I looked at the car then I fell to my knees screaming.

I felt everyone panicking around me, trying to calm me down and get some answers for my sudden blow-up. They were all looking around for the unknowing culprit.

"Stupid, shiny, Volvo owner..." was all I could say as I rocked back and forth.

"What just happened?" I heard Tanya ask as she placed her arms protectively around my shoulders and me as tightly as she could.

"My guess would be that something terrible happened in her past that dealt with a shiny Volvo." Eleazar answered. "Someone needs to tell Edward not to bring his car."

An even louder scream passed my lips and I tried to free myself from Tanya. Everyone was suddenly wrapping their arms around me, holding me still. I was shaking violently and I tried to loosen everyone's hold on me.

"DON'T SAY THAT NAME!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, my eyes started to sting and my body felt possessed.

It took all five vampires to hold me down; my limbs were flailing around, trying to free myself. I had to get away from the silver car and the name that only succeeded in tearing a hole in my chest.

"Bee, why can't we say that name?" Tanya asked as she took my face in her hands and forced me to look at her, her eyes were pleading and sad.

"You just can't, don't say that name... please." I begged as my body was consumed with sobbing.

"She's completely lost it," mumbled Kate.

"Shut up Kate, she just had a traumatic change is all remember?" Tanya lifted me in her arms and carried me to the van while my body still shook.

She placed me in the passenger seat and examined me. I was no longer in hysterics but I was still on edge. What just happened to me? One minute I was fine and smiling then the next I was scared and having a fit. Apparently the sight of a silver car will send me in to a panic and the name 'Edward' will send me hurling over a cliff of a mental breakdown. What was wrong with me? Was I this broken as a human? Am I broken now, even as a vampire? Was there a way to cure it, was I even curable?

* * *

_**Tanya's Point of View**_

I drove us all home in silence, not one word was spoken. I watched Bee rest her head against the rain blurred window and wondered what was going through her mind. She looked so lost and broken and deader than she already was, more than any of us combined.

Ever since Kate and I found this innocent creature I found myself wanting to protect her. But how do I fight against an invisible enemy? How do I help her past this pain from her former life? I had spent the last five months trying to contact the one person I thought _might_ be able to help her. Damn him, why wasn't he answering his phone?

As soon as I pulled onto our drive way Bee fled from the car and disappeared toward the house. I stopped the car in the garage and let everyone leave and enter the house. I remained in the van for awhile thinking.

Is this how our mother felt when dealing with the three of us? I'm sure this scenario was worse; at least we remembered who we were. Bee didn't know who she was, that she was in fact a vampire, or anything about her past. I hit the steering wheel out of frustration and the poor thing whined at the abuse.

Irritated, I climbed out of the van and made my way slowly to Bee's room. We had given her the bright, light blue room at the end of the hall and she seemed honestly happy about the decor, thank you Esme. I readied myself to knock on the slightly open door and saw Bee was sobbing on her bed, wrapped up into a tight ball.

At seeing her like this I wanted so badly to join her in her crying. Thanks to Irina's gift, though not a very useful one for what the Volturi would consider valuable, it helped us to understand a little bit about Bee's traumatic past. At first Irina didn't want to tell us what she witnessed, but we eventually convinced her.

She sighed heavily then looked at us with sad tortured eyes; Bee was reading a book in her room. "She was tortured by a female vampire then she was raped by another vampire. There was venom in his semen, she was changed by that." The room fell silent as we all thought over Irina's words. We didn't even know that was a possibility, venom in semen, we had never heard of anything like it. But Bee was proof that it can happen, it was sad and scary but it was a fact. If Bee was to learn about how she was changed, I'm sure she would be devastated.

Despite being a blood-thirsty monster she still exuded innocence and sweetness. Even though she had unknowingly been turned into a killer she was still the angel I could see from a past life. She was love personified.

At this very moment I couldn't go in and help her, I didn't know how to help her. She was in an unknown place with no answers and the only person capable of maybe answering some of those questions was unreachable.

I turned away from her door and headed back down stairs to attempt to reach our friend the doctor. I grabbed my cell phone off the kitchen counter and walked into the sunroom. I was getting annoyed with my inability to reach any one of our old friends when we desperately needed them.

I took a deep breath and dialed his number. One ring. Two rings. Three rings.

"Tanya?" the voice I had been longing to hear finally answered his phone.

"Damn it Carlisle, where have you been for the last five months? I've been trying to reach you." the irritation was seeping from my voice.

"I'm sorry Tanya, Edward's soulmate has gone missing while we were away and we've been looking for her," he sounded exhausted.

I hissed at hearing Edward had found his soulmate and it wasn't me, but at the same time I was happy for him. "I take it you haven't found her yet?"

"Unfortunately, no we haven't. We have no clues as to her whereabouts and Alice is only seeing mist. We're completely lost and Edward is beside himself with worry...but that aside, why have you been so eager to get a hold of me?" I could hear the pain and lose in his voice and I started hurting along with him.

"Have you ever heard of a newborn vampire with amnesia?" I heard him gasp suddenly.

"What, as in no memories from being a human? Alice was that way but we found out she was in an asylum before-"

"I mean no memories at all. She didn't know her name or even know that she was a vampire. Today we were in town and a couple things sent her into hysterics." I knew about Alice's story but Bee's was different.

"Okay that is odd, she had no idea she was a vampire..." he was getting curious now.

"No, when we found her she told us she was trying to drink water when she would get thirsty."

"WATER! Okay I'll be there as fast as I can. Don't let her leave." Carlisle informed me hastily.

"I don't think that would be a problem, she's happy here. Just promise me you'll hurry, she's emotionally falling apart." I begged him.

"I promise…I should be there within the week."

"Thank you Carlisle, see you soon." I closed the phone and breathed a large sigh of relief.

Thank god I finally reached Carlisle; he should be able to find a solution for this poor innocent girl. He might even be able to restore her memories. We all had so many questions surrounding Bee. My biggest question was; who was this _he_ that wouldn't allow her to become a vampire.

* * *

_**Carlisle's Point of View**_

I have never encountered a scenario such as this. Sure Alice remembered nothing about her human life but at least after when she was turned she knew to drink blood and even remembered her middle name. But this girl, this girl was completely blank, with no knowledge of whom or what she was. I'm sure Tanya and her family was doing a fabulous job with teaching her but there was only so much they can do.

"Everyone. Living room. NOW!" I didn't have to raise my voice and I was grateful, I was really the quiet type.

All of my family assembled in front of me quickly and everyone had a confused expression on each of their faces. I looked over to Alice with a questioning look and she shook her head no. There was still nothing on Bella.

"I need to go to Denali and help Tanya out with a mystery newborn; I'm not sure when I'll be back. I was wondering who would like to accompany me." I looked around at all the bewildered expressions; apparently I had asked a stupid question.

"Did you really have to ask, of course we're all going," Esme answered for everyone as they scattered to get things packed. "Who knows, maybe we can get a lead on Bella?"

Within thirty minutes we were packed and loaded up. Emmett, Jasper, Alice and Rosalie were in the BMW while Edward rode with Esme and me in the Mercedes. In the last fourteen months Edward wouldn't step near the Volvo, I had mentioned selling it and getting him a new car and he had exploded violently, refusing to part from the vehicle. It successfully ended that topic.

We drove from our home in Quebec and headed for Alaska. Sure we could have taken a plane but some of us needed time to think. And we wanted our own cars in case we needed them.

I continually glanced in the rear view mirror to my son. He relaxed in the back seat with his head pressed against the window. He was lost. When we left Forks I feared he would waste away or find someway to end his life. But now that Bella was missing and possibly in danger he was like a puppet, being pulled by the strings that we wished for. In the words of Charlie Swan, he was a lifeless doll.

I actually prayed that we would find Bella soon and hopefully she would be unharmed.

_**Chapter End Notes:**_

I would have a fit too if I was reminded of something like that. What else could set her off, any guesses? What will happen when the Cullens finally reach Alaska? Will Carlisle be able to restores Bee's memories?

This will be my last posting till after New Years. I'm catching up on some of my stories in the mean time.


	6. I Don't Want You

I don't own anything Twilight. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just playing around with her creation.

_Previously: Bee has been with Tanya and Co. for 5 months now. They go into town for shopping. Bee sees a silver car and has a conniption fit. Learn of Bee's traumatic change. Tanya finally reaches Carlisle, Cullens on their way to Alaska._

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_**Chapter 6: I Don't Want You**

_**Edward's Point of View**_

What have I done? I left her so she could resume a normal human life, free of danger, blood and fear. I basically killed myself so she could be safe. Where had I gone wrong?

I was completely and utterly astounded that Bella had been in our meadow. I never thought that she would go looking for it. If she wanted to celebrate my birthday why didn't she just go to the house? Why did I even ask myself that, I knew why. That place was special to me and her alone, no one else shared in it's magic.

Nine months. Nine damn months and she was still dedicated to me. Despite what I had done or said she was still loyal and from what Charlie had said, still very much in love with a monster. I saw through Alice's memories the distraught look on the poor police chief's face as he described his daughter, the daughter I had killed with only four words.

_I don't want you_.

I should have known to be careful with my words. Bella had constantly voiced how she couldn't understand why I wanted to be with her. She called herself plain and boring while I was the dark, mysterious hunk. Time and time again I had corrected her, telling her she was wrong, that she was far from boring and that she was beyond beautiful. She would just laugh and change the subject.

I saw that she believed me the second I said those lying words, the look in her eyes ripped my heart in two. I wanted so badly to wrap her in my arms and apologize profusely for lying, but my desire to keep her safe won out in the end.

We had spent the last five months searching for her, for a hint to her whereabouts, for any indications that she was even alive.

First, Alice visited Charlie to see if he had learned anything new about Bella, nothing. We then went to the meadow. Bella's scent was very weak by now and the wolf smell was nearly drowning it out. We searched all over Washington and into Oregon and BC, nothing. We did pick up the scent of wolves again near an old worn down boathouse and the odor of three vampires, two I remembered as being Laurent and Victoria but the third was unknown to me.

I sat in silence looking out the window of the Mercedes as we sped toward Alaska. Apparently Tanya was having some difficulties with a newborn. Now was not the time to be taming newborns or playing babysitter, my angel was out there and we had to find here.

I brought this upon myself, why did I ever think Bella would forget me, or want to. She had professed her love to me on so many levels; even to the point that she would give up her mortality to be with me. That takes devotion. I knew Bella never did things half heartedly and she loved me whole heartedly, and I threw her away like an old phone book. When we find her I will spend the rest of my life apologizing to her for everything I had done to her this past year.

"Edward, are you going to be able to handle this?" Esme asked when she turned her head around to look at me in the back seat.

She may be my mother but who was she kidding, of course I couldn't handle this. Bella was missing, it was my fault and we hand no idea where she was or how she was doing? I glanced at her, didn't say a word and turned my eyes back out the window.

_'Sorry, thought I would ask anyway,'_ Esme turned back around and faced forward.

We were almost there now. I recognized the large wildlife park on my left and the enormous forest on my right. In another few minutes we would be face to face to the on that had interrupted our search. I'll give her two days then I was gone. I couldn't leave Bella out there with god knows what doing unimaginable things to her. My stomach twisted at what those possibilities could entail.

We pulled up and parked in front of the two story log cabin mansion, they were as bad as us when it came to their homes, larger the better. Tanya was outside waiting for us as we climbed out of the cars.

"Oh good you left the Volvo at home. I forgot to mention that," Tanya said quietly and sighed heavily.

"Why would we have to leave the car?" Carlisle was honesty curious as was I.

"Bee had an episode when she saw a silver car then said something about a shiny Volvo. We thought it would be better for her if she didn't see one. And no one says the name 'Edward' that will set her off too." _'Poor thing.'_ Tanya's thoughts then centered on the possibilities for her amnesia.

_'What in the world is wrong with this girl?' _Carlisle looked stumped and bewildered.

We walked up the porch steps with Tanya and into the house. '_Edward, you should stay back for a bit '_

What in the world? Right, my name would set her off. Oh well, not that it affects me in the slightest. Let the good doctor handle things. Maybe I could just head over to our Alaskan home for now.

_'Don't you dare go anywhere Edward, you can stay with the rest of us for now,'_ leave it to the evil pixie to thwart all plans.

I huffed and flumped down on the bench positioned at the entry way. This was beyond annoying. I just want to be out there looking for Bella, not playing nurse maid to a confused newborn.

"She's in the living room playing chess with Eleazar." Tanya looked around to each of us and her eyes lingered on me the longest. _'Hopefully this won't take long and you can get back to looking for your girlfriend._'

I winced as she tried to picture what Bella looked like, nothing came close to what my Bella truly is.

_'I'm over a thousand years old and she's kicking my butt!_' I smirked as Eleazar complained and he contemplated his next move. _'The knight or the bishop?_'

I watched Carlisle follow Tanya into the living room and his mind immediately became bombarded with images of Bella. Why in the world would he be thinking of Bella when he's supposed to be helping the newborn. He then started going over different types of surgeries he's done and in which country.

Okay strange, why was he blocking me?

Eleazar lost his match against the fledgling and he smiled at her, congratulating her on a game well played. I looked at the girl before him using his eyes. Golden brown eyes stared back at him happily, her dark chocolate brown hair with red highlights bounced as she lifted her head. There was a huge smile on her luscious red lips, the bottom was slightly larger then the top.

I sat up straight on the bench as I took in the newborn's appearance. Her heart shaped face stared back at Eleazar then looked at Carmen and Kate.

"I did it, I won!" her voice was like a whimsical melody but it was still very familiar.

"Someone grab my son, keep him back!" Carlisle was too late in his warning.

I was up and out of the foyer before Carlisle could even say 'son'. I burst into the living room and rushed toward the newborn, nothing else on my mind but holding her in my arms.

_'CRAP!'_

_'What the?'_

_'Oh no...'_

_'Edward, don't...'_

* * *

_**Bee's Point of View**_

I was stunned when I was pulled into someone's embrace. The arms around me were familiar but they also seemed to rip at the edges of my chest and tear at the seams of my soul.

"Bella..."

That one small word that was whispered in a voice that reverberated in every vein of my body caused my mind to scream at me incoherently. The arms, the embrace, the voice, all of it caused me to snap.

"GET OFF!" I screamed as loudly as I could and pushed against the chest that was holding me with all my might. In the next instant, the person that was holding me was crashing into the far wall and I was cowering against the wall behind me. I was shaking uncontrollably and my eyes wouldn't focus on anything specific.

Tanya was by my side in a blink trying to calm me down. I calmed enough to glance over at my assailant. He had a look like someone had just killed his mother, father and dog then stuck a knife in his chest. I tried to examine his face further but there was an ache in my chest and I had to look away.

I gazed at Tanya's worried expression, numerous questions seeping from her eyes. I had no answers, I had no idea why I acted that way to being hugged by him, and I didn't react that way to anyone else. I rested my forehead on my knees and I suddenly felt like I was losing everything, my past self, who I had become, my family, my future.

Tanya kissed my forehead and I shuddered. "Kate, can you take Bee out to hunt please?"

"Definitely," Kate walked over to me and helped me to my feet.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the person I had thrown earlier take a step in my direction, I involuntarily flinched away from him and he faltered. He looked at me with pleading eyes that wanted nothing more than to wrap me in his arms, but he was scared, I was scared.

"Come on Bee, we'll find you a nice fat cougar." I let Kate lead me out the back door and she took my hand and pulled me into the forest.

We ran for about an hour before we found a bear for Kate and then another hour away we found my cougar. Once I was full I slouched to the ground and landed on my bottom.

"Kate, is it possible for a vampire to be broken?" I had no other explanation for my behavior. Why had I thrown someone across the room? Did I know him? I don't think so but his touch and voice created terrible feelings in my body. There was something about this one person that my subconscious didn't like.

"A broken vampire? Well that's a new one. I guess anything is possible, why?" Kate said as she helped dispose of the cougar.

"Why else would I attack someone? I have absolutely no memories, I didn't even know I was a vampire. There is something seriously wrong with me." I looked at the ground in front of me. It was starting to get frost now, in just a few more weeks we would have snow and a lot of it. "Kate, who was that guy that grabbed me earlier?"

Kate glanced at me like she had the answer but was afraid to tell me. "Him and his family are old friends of our. They have a home not that far from here, but they've recently been living in Quebec." Kate sat down on the ground next to me and started to rip a small piece of wood apart. "Recently Ed- his girlfriend went missing and he's been looking for her. If not for that fact they would have been here a lot sooner."

If that guy had a girlfriend why was he hugging me? Maybe I looked like her. "Who is Bella?"

Kate looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "I believe that was the name of his girlfriend. He called you that when he hugged you didn't he?" I nodded. "Hmm, maybe you look like her. I heard she's human."

My eyes shot to Kate's thinking face. "That couldn't be easy."

"Tell me about it. If he wasn't a vegetarian it could be looked at as him playing with his food." I giggled at her little joke.

I had a very ominous feeling when I looked at my hugger. What was it about him, of all people, why did he give me a creepy feeling.

"We should head back so the Doc can have a look at you." I nodded at her suggestion and got to my feet. Hopefully he can help me and I'll have my past returned to me.

Four words repeated themselves in my head over and over again. "I don't want you. I don't want you. I don't want you... "

* * *

_**Tanya's Point of View**_

What the hell just happened? One second Bee was happily beating Eleazar at chess, I was about to introduce her to Carlisle then Edward burst into the room. Bee had reacted in a way I never would have expected from her. She was always so cheerful and passive so when Edward embraced her and she threw him across the room, it left us all speechless.

Once Kate had taken Bee outside to hunt and cool off I turned slowly on Edward. The one guy around that sparked my interest, which had snubbed me repeatedly, had just scared the crap out of Bee. My need to protect Bee from all possible threats overrode my love and lust for the only single Cullen.

I stalked toward Edward angrily and he backed up into the wall away from me. "What is your problem?"

"I uh..."

"I think I might know why she's so emotionally troubled." Alice stepped around Jasper and glared daggers at Edward.

"And how is that possible? Why would you know about the cause for Bee's problems." I stared curiously between Alice and Edward. She looked furious and Edward looked hurt.

"Because your Bee is my Bella. We've been searching for her the last five months when she went missing from Forks," he looked sadly at me.

Bee was really Edward's girlfriend Bella, the human. "How in the world did you lose a human girl in that small of a town?" His eyes widened infintesmally as he stared at me then his eyes took on a hollow empty appearance.

"There was an accident at her birthday party last September, there was blood and Edward felt the need to leave." Alice stated bluntly.

"Okay, so you moved from Forks but why is she so damaged?" I was starting to get annoyed, there was something critical that had happened between them and everyone seemed to be beating around the bush.

Edward sighed heavily then slumped to the floor. "I wanted her to have a normal human life...I broke up with her and left, hoping she would forget about me and move on." I watched as he fisted his hands into his hair and pulled roughly.

There had to be more. She had forgotten everything, only something traumatic could cause that. "What are you not telling me? You did or said something to guarantee that she would forget didn't you?"

He flinched at my words and I definitely knew he had done something terrible. "She wasn't making my leaving very easy. I had to convince her to let me go and forget about me," he glanced up at me then looked to each member of his family for forgiveness. "I told her I didn't want her anymore."

"YOU WHAT?!" everyone in the room screamed in unison.

"You never told us any of that. How could you do that to her, to us, to yourself?" Esme fell to her knees as she stared at Edward, stunned. Carlisle was kneeling by her side in an instant, trying to console her.

"Well it looks like you got your wish than Edward," he looked at me with sad confused eyes. "You wanted her to forget you, well she did, and then some."

His eyes widened as the truth of my words sunk in. I'm sure he didn't really intend for her to forget him in this way or quite so thoroughly but it happened.

"Tanya, do you have any knowledge about how she was changed," Dr. Carlisle was back in his body now, the loving husband and father put on the back burner.

I sighed heavily, I knew I had to tell them the tragedy but it was something I had hoped to prolong. "You know that Irina's gift is to see the last minute before a person starts turning, right?" Carlisle nodded as did everyone else. "Sadly we do know. From what Irina could see, Bee...or Bella, was in a small boathouse. There was a blonde haired vampire of about nineteen or twenty and he... raped her. We believe there is venom in a male vampire's semen and that was how she was changed."

Much to my surprise Edward burst out laughing hystically. "What the hell is wrong with you? You just learned your girlfriend was raped and turned into something you were trying to avoid." I failed to see the humor in the situation. I stood in front of Edward and raised my hand to slap him, this was not a laughing matter.

He held his hand up defensively and I paused in my assault. "What I find funny Tanya is that I left Bella to protect her from this supernatural world and all the dangers that came with it. My plan has backfired on me in every possible way. I wanted her safe and instead she was kidnapped and raped, I never wanted her to become a vampire but she is one now, I wanted her to forget about me and move on with her life but instead she'll forever be locked at eighteen and she has forgotten everything. Am I the only one who sees the irony of all of his?"

I looked down at him with pained and sorrowful eyes. He did make a good point about all his hurting was for not. "I don't think you need to laugh about it though."

"Very true, I'm sorry." I watched with narrowed eyes as he got to his feet.

"Excuse me, Eleazar have you been able to determine if Bella has any ability? While she was human her mind was closed off to Edward." Carlisle glanced at Eleazar then to his son. "Is it still unreadable?"

Edward nodded just before Eleazar clear his throat to speak.

"I can tell you she does in fact have a gift but I can't tell you what it is. All I can detect is a small fizzle that would imply she is indeed gifted. I think her ability is linked to her amnesia, so I can't tell you what she is capable of." Carmen came up behind her husband and grasped his hand, supporting him emotionally.

I was astonished when Kate and Bee walk through the back doors to join us. Bee was calm and collected and had an aura of confidence. She glanced at Edward and for a split second I thought she might have remembered him. He straightened himself to his full height of six foot two, a crooked smile inching it's way onto his face as he gazed at her. Bee then turned her attention to Carlisle and walked up to him.

"Please, help me remember."

* * *

_**Chapter End Notes:**_

Poor Edward, think he's miserable enough yet? Do you think it was a bit over the top when Edward starting laughing at Bella's story? What could Bella's gift possibly be?

I'm not ending the story yet but I'm unsure of how to go about the ending. What type of an ending would you readers prefer to see? Maybe it will spark an idea in me.


	7. Emotional Break Downs

I don't own anything Twilight. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just playing around with her creation.

* * *

_Previously: Edward reflects over his stupidity at leaving Bella. Edward embraces Bee and is then thrown across the room. Kate takes Bee hunting. Edward tells everyone how he broke up with Bella. Tanya lays into Edward. Tanya tells the Cullens about Bella's change.

* * *

_

**Chapter 7: Emotional Break Downs**

_**Bella's Point of View**_

"Alright, Bella. Just carry on with your day as you normally would. I'll be taking notes to see if anything carried over from your human life. Hopefully from that I will come up with a plan to regain your memories." Carlisle pulled a pad of paper and a pen from a black bag he had carried in earlier. "Are you sure you want to remember, you might not like what you learn?"

I looked around to all the faces I called family and the many other faces that I didn't recognize. The Cullens had told me last night about my human life in Forks and my connection to them. Shortly after arriving in the small rainy town I had befriended them, Alice most of all. I had learned that they were vampires and kept their secret. Despite what they were, I had fallen in love with Edward and we had started dating.

I glanced over to Edward as he leaned against the far wall, his eyes locked on me. From what I could tell and had seen of him that night, he seemed perfect. I had seen myself in a mirror lately – sure I was pretty but not pretty enough to be with someone so staggeringly gorgeous.

What had drawn him to want me in the first place? If I had gone missing from my home, where was he when I disappeared? I had to learn the truth to my questions and find my memories. I wholeheartedly wanted to know what that Greek god of beauty saw in a plain Jane. Everyone had told me how much he loved me but I couldn't understand why.

I kept my eyes focused on the god that called himself my boyfriend. "Yes, doctor, I do."

"Okay, just interact with everyone like usual," that was easier said than done.

I'm sure he would get bored with me soon enough with the way my daily regime played out. He said to do my normal thing, so I will.

I walked over to a bookcase and picked up the book I had been reading then relaxed on the couch and stared reading.

"What are you reading?" Carlisle asked simply.

"Wuthering Heights," I was surprised to hear a snicker come from Edward. "What?"

"That was your favorite book as a human. Make a note of that Carlisle." I narrowed my eyes at him as he continued to chuckle.

I slammed my book down on the table and stalked toward my room. I would think he would be happy that something had carried over to my new life. Did he not want me to remember, is that why he was being so difficult right now?

I stared around my room for something to do. I walked over and turned on my cd player, letting the gentle notes of Bach fill the room. I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes, letting the music float around me, calming me. I heard Carlisle scribbling on his pad from the hall but nothing else. Edward didn't follow after me and I felt a hole in my chest that I couldn't identify.

"Bella?" I heard a light whimsical voice from the hall and looked to see the tiny girl that had been introduced as my best friend and one of the doctor's daughters. Her eyes were begging me to come in – I smiled and waved her inside.

Maybe that had been a mistake. She ran across the room and leapt onto the bed, successfully wrapping her small arms around my waist much like a little child would their mother.

"Alice?"

She sat up and gazed at me with glassy eyes. "You remember me?"

I gave her a half smile and shook my head. "Sorry, I only remember names right now."

Her eyes and hope fell. She then moved so she was kneeling in front of me on the bed. She grabbed my hands and started bouncing up and down. "That's okay, well figure it out. You'll remember in no time."

"I was told that you had the gift to see the future. What do you see for me? When will I get my memories back?" her eyes grew wide then fell to her lap where our joined hands rested.

"I wish I knew. About five months ago, I ceased to see you. All I can see is a purplish fog. It might have something to do with your amnesia or maybe a hidden gift," my eyes joined hers in her lap.

"Oh," so the seer couldn't even see me. I sure hoped the doctor could help me.

I was chatting with Alice for a couple hours. She told me about our trips into town and our makeover sessions. I continued to smile at her as she bounced on my bed, excited about everything she told me. Only a few things seemed to spark a faint memory, like dress shopping for a large party, I think it was Prom, and about a dozen makeovers.

My brain went totally blank and my insides turned to ice when some piano notes drifted up the stairs to my room. I recognized the melody but I couldn't place it. As the musical tempo increased and became more urgent, the ache in my chest increased as well.

"EDWARD, STOP!"

I barely made out Carlisle shouting to his son before I let out a gut-wrenching scream as I fell off the bed and crumbled to the floor in agony. The pain in my chest was the worst I had ever felt and I had no explanation for its cause.

Alice was holding my shoulders to her and Carlisle was rubbing circles on my back to sooth me, both looked confused and terrified with worry.

I gazed upward and saw the copper-headed god standing in the doorway. His face riddled with surprise, shame and worry. He looked at me with his piercing golden eyes and there was regret and sorrow filling them. He looked shattered, broken hearted and dead inside. I had a sudden urge to kiss away the worry and regret from his expression but somewhere in my head was telling me stay far away from him.

"I'm sorry Edward, that melody you were playing, what was it?" I cringed as I voiced my question. The pain was so unbearable I wanted to cry, loudly.

Edward's eyes shot wide as he stared at me vexed. "It's your lullaby Bella, I wrote it for you."

_"I don't want you..."_

There were those words again. Had he said them to me at some point? Everything he did showed that he loved me. Maybe he loved me but didn't want me? How does that work?

Edward walked into my room and kneeled before me. "I'm so sorry, had I of known this would happen I would have-"

While apologizing he had reached for my hand and held it. Instantly there was a shock like a bolt of electricity into my hand and I jerked my hand away from him. I immediately saw the hurt he was trying to hide in his eyes.

He stood up and turned for the door. "I'll leave you to Carlisle now," in a blur, he was gone.

I stared after him, stone still like only a vampire could do. My breathing was coming out labored. I had a vague memory of Edward kissing my forehead then walking away from me. I hollered after him but nothing, and then I fell to the damp forest floor.

He left me! I started to feel sick and wrapped my arms around my stomach as I climbed off the floor. As fast as my nauseated stomach would allow me, I made it down the stairs and ran out the back door. Within a second, I had lost the last of the cougar I had the night before.

"Bella?" Alice, Carlisle and Tanya were standing behind me, shocked.

I whipped my mouth clean of the blood and venom with the sleeve of my shirt. I stared into the forest, emotions warring inside me, but the strongest was anger. "He left me..." I whispered in a snarl as I stared into the blackness of the surrounding trees.

* * *

_**Edward's Point of View**_

When Bella balked away from my touch for the second time in less than 24 hours I felt my already iced over heart shatter into a thousand tiny little shards.

I was acting like an idiot. I knew she was sensitive around any one unknown, namely me. I was just so glad to see that she was all right, well, sort of. Yes, she had been turned into what I feared the most but the main point was she was here, I could touch her, talk to her, and adore her once again.

Then there was the issue of her amnesia.

When she remembered something about the rest of my family, she just looked confused or awed. However, when she remembered something about me she was pained, screaming, and unable to move. I believe my leaving had done more damage to her than the rest of my family's leaving had done.

I was surprised when she fled out the back door, clenching her stomach. The sound of vomiting hit my ears like a hammer to an anvil. It rang deep and loud through my entire body. Vampires don't get nauseous or sick, was this my fault as well? I walked over and leaned against the wall next to the back door.

"He left me..."

I heard her whisper in a very hushed and venomous tone. Did she remember what I had done? My ears pricked up as I heard Carlisle's voice.

"Do you have your memories back?" he asked her eager and curious.

"Sorry no. I just remember him leaving me behind in a forest, I was all alone." I heard a small impact on the grass and assumed she had fallen to her knees.

So, she still had no idea of the blasphemy I had portrayed over a year ago. Her mind was free of my debilitating lie but it was obvious her heart had believed every word and she still subconsciously reacted to it.

Bella's sobbing words ripped at the torn edges of my fractured and frozen heart. "Why did he leave me? If he loves me so much, how could he do that? You're not supposed to abandon the one you love, _ever_."

Her words stung like a needle straight to the chest. I slid to the floor and fisted my hands into my messy locks then pulled so hard I started getting a headache.

"He did it to protect you." Alice spoke softly from Bella's side. "You were always in danger when you were around him. He wanted you to have a happy and normal human life."

"What made him think I wasn't happy?" the tone of Bella's voice wasn't exactly questioning, it was accusing and sarcastic. "I may not have many memories of him but I do know that that is a really stupid and selfish excuse," she then let out a low growl. "I so want to deck him right now and I don't exactly know why."

I watched through Alice's eyes as she placed a hand on Bella's shoulder and looked in my direction of the house, her words flowed loudly and barbed. "Don't worry – he would deserve everything you threw at him, his car included."

I winced at her mentioning my own car being thrown at me by the person I still saw as being the small, accident prone, human girl I had fallen in love with.

Now she wasn't that same girl, far from it. In only the nine months before her transformation, she had matured. Her body was slimmer; her face was leaner, her hair longer, and her breasts fuller. All the 'baby fat' was gone, leaving behind a stunning eighteen year old. If it was possible I was finding myself drawn more to her, or maybe it was the knowledge that she was no longer breakable, either way, I wanted her more now than when her blood called to me or any other time during her human life.

"Well, if your calm enough now shall we continue the monitoring?" Carlisle asked and offered his hand to help Bella to her feet.

"I do feel like another game of chess," she smiled at them and I felt my stomach do a flop. If it was possible, I believe her smile became more radiant with the change as well.

"Why don't you play a game with Jasper? He did teach you the game." I quickly went to the living room so I wasn't caught eavesdropping. Alice escorted Bella inside and led her to the chessboard that Jasper was already setting up.

I watched with intense curiosity, as their game got underway.

_'Damn, she's improved. Wonder if it's her vampire mind or playing with Eleazar?'_ I was surprised by Jasper's thoughts.

Eleazar was over a thousand years old and she had beaten him. Maybe Jasper was just a really good teacher. Bella was ecstatic when she won against Jasper.

"Looks like the student has become the teacher," I smirked at Jasper and he glared at me in return. I thought I was going to loose myself when Bella smiled happily at me. What I wouldn't give to have her love filled gaze back, but I had ruined that option that fateful day in the forest.

Perhaps Bella's amnesia was a blessing in disguise. Sure she had forgotten all the kisses, caresses, and I love you's but she had also forgot about that painful first week when she appeared in Forks, James's attack, and the birthday party gone awry and the pain of when I left. We could start over anew with no bloodlust to immobilize me or fear of her being accidently harmed. For the first time we could just be, Bella and Edward without the monster lurking in the shadows.

_'I'm proud of your decision. Don't screw it up this time.' _Alice glared at me from Jasper's side then smile._ 'Do you want my help in wooing her __**again**__?'_

I shook my head then gazed over at the girl that had stolen my heart. The girl I had vowed would never know the inner workings of this world. The girl I longed to hold in my arms. The girl turned vampire that set everything in my body on fire. The same girl, that whether she was human or vampire continued to turn my word upside down. I vow that I will make this right, we will be together again and we'll be deliriously happy.

Alice nodded her head with a faint smile in acceptance and I smiled back to her.

I had spent a good portion of the day reflecting over what had happened to my Bella. After doing what I thought was the right thing to do, she was in danger from a much more violent creature than me, a newborn with lust issues. That damn monster had stolen her innocence away violently and she couldn't even fight back, since he was a vampire. I had been so fixated on protecting her from my monster I had completely forgotten about all of the other fiends out there.

That _thing_ had violently stolen the same thing Bella had offered me repeatedly. Now, due to my stubbornness it was lost to both of us. I was having the problem now of which monster to be more mad at, myself for leaving Bella to be attacked or the monster that had raped her and stolen her innocence and mortality away from her. In a way, I guess both monsters had stolen something from her, her heart, soul, and livelihood by me and her virginity, innocence and humanity by the other.

* * *

_**Jacob's Point of View**_

Five months, five damn months and no sign of Bella. How in the world had her scent died in that boathouse I will never know? The pack had searched all over Washington, into Canada and down into Oregon, I had even investigated into Idaho briefly. Now I was back in Forks, bracing myself for what was next. Charlie.

It was late in the evening so I knew he would be home. I took a deep breath then stepped onto the porch and knocked. I heard some shuffling around inside then the door clicked open.

The man that had been a family friend stared at me. Billy had told me Charlie wasn't taking Bella's disappearance very well but I didn't expect this. His cheekbones were sunken in and his complexion was pale, he was thinner than normal and he seemed lifeless.

"Jake, please say you found something, anything?" he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into the house.

I hung my head as I sat on the small sofa. How am I supposed to break this man's heart delicately? I don't think there is a way. "I'm sorry Charlie, we haven't found anything. She just disappeared."

He walked over to the fireplace and looked at a picture of Bella in the twelfth grade, it had been taken just before her leech had left and destroyed her. It was amazing how the radiant creature in the photo could be the Bella that we knew now.

The bloodsucker had offered to take her senior photos and Charlie and Bella had jumped on the opportunity. In the picture, Bella was sitting in a beautiful green meadow surrounded by wildflowers. She was wearing a pair of black jeans and a navy blue V-neck blouse and she wore the most exquisite smile I had ever seen on her face. I hated to admit it but he did an amazing job with the pictures.

She only bestowed that certain smile on her bloodsucker. Every time I saw that picture, it made me jealous. Bella had never smiled at me like that nor did she look at me the way she did when it involved the mosquito, and it seemed like she never would.

Charlie was still looking over all of Bella's photos. Anyone could see the terrible lose in his eyes and it deepened at my verbalized revelation. First, his wife leaves him nearly eighteen years ago. His only child finally returns and after only one year together, she disappears. Charlie's life seemed to be filled with nothing but pain.

"I'm not giving up. I don't care if I have to search all over this country for her. I won't stop till I find something." I stared up at him confidently.

"Thanks Jake but after all this time I know what the odds are of Bella being found. I've pretty much accepted the fact that my daughter is lost to us. I just hope she isn't hurting," he looked ready to cry and I shouldn't be here when that happened.

"I'll head home now okay Charlie?" I stood up and grasped Charlie's offered hand.

"Thanks again Jake. Say 'hi' to Billy for me," he led me out of the house and quietly closed the door behind me.

As soon as the door closed, I heard a grown man break down and cry for the second time in my life, the first time being when my dad collapsed in tears right after my mom had died.

I would say hello to my dad then I would head out on my own. I stalked into the forest next to the house and quickly phased so I could get home faster.

_Hey, Jake, How did the search go?_

_Obviously, Embry, it wasn't good. _

_Sorry. _

_Jake, it's about time you got back. _

_Hi Sam, I just wanted to let you know I'm not stopping. Charlie needs closure, this isn't right. Even if he's accepted her missing, I'm not. _

_Are you sure about this? _

_Yes Sam, I am. _

_Okay, just be careful alright. _

_Always am..._

I reached the forest outside my house and phased quickly. Billy wasn't home so I left him a note and headed back out in to the dark forest to continue my rescue mission.

* * *

_**Chapter End Notes:**_

And even more hysterics on Bella's part. Well, what did you expect, didn't think I was going to make it easy on them did you? So what could Edward do to win Bella over without setting her off into a fit? Will he even be able to?


	8. An All Around Tease

I don't own anything Twilight. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just playing around with her creation.

* * *

_Previously: Carlisle starts to learn more about Bella's amnesia. Bella is unintentionally set off by the piano and remembers that Edward left her. Edward decides he needs to fix things. Jake tells Charlie he hasn't found anything but he's not giving up and leaves to look for her.

* * *

_

**Chapter 8: An All Around Tease**

_**Bella's Point of View**_

This had been an interesting month with the Cullens around. Carlisle was busy thinking of ideas to restore my lost memories and watching me from the sidelines. Alice had attempted to drag me to Anchorage for shopping but I refused repeatedly. Jasper had challenged me to several chess rematches and the score was eight wins for me three wins for him. With me still being a newborn, Emmett had challenged me to wrestle with him, test my strength he had claimed. Esme was content to hold me in her arms just telling me how much she missed me. Rosalie didn't say much but when she would look at me, she was pained, like we shared in a common unknown link. Then there was Edward.

Frequently I caught him looking at me as I went about my normal days. His eyes were a mixture of longing, regret and hope. I was astonished by my desire to walk over and ravish him silly. I would catch myself watching him constantly. It was like there was a magnet between us, pulling us towards each other.

At the moment, Edward was frantically running around the house and he wasn't being very quiet about it either.

"What in the world is he doing?" I asked Alice while she brushing my hair calmly and I watched Edward rush back up the stairs.

Alice merely shrugged her shoulders with a knowing grin and continued to run the brush through my hair.

"Uh huh, I don't believe you," I glared at her as she put on a hurt face.

"Ouch, that hurt. Don't you remember you're not supposed to bet against me?" she pressed a palm to her chest and noticeably winched.

"Yeah, play it up. But I wasn't betting against you, I was calling you a liar." I chided her and smirked.

I was stunned when Edward came down the stairs with a very satisfied smile, sat down on the couch and started reading my book - Wuthering Heights. I tilted my head and stared at him curiously.

"Would you like me to braid your hair?" Alice leaned her chin on my shoulder as she asked.

"Sure, I'll go up and get a hair tie," I smiled at Alice then sprinted up the stairs.

I burst through my door and was assaulted by the aroma of roses. My room was covered in the dainty flowers. Dozens of vases lined my dresser and shelves in reds, whites, pinks, oranges, yellows and purples. There were petals scattered all over the floor, the bed and every available surface. I was amazed.

I almost missed the note that rested among the petals on my bed. I quickly retrieved it and opened the flap. The words written in an elegant scroll penmanship flabbergasted me.

_I know I've done some really stupid things._

_I can't expect you to forgive me when I can't forgive myself._

_I'll do everything in my power to make everything up to you._

_I want you to know that I love you and I'll love you forever._

_Forever yours, E_

It was so heartfelt and sweet I could have sworn I felt a tear fall but I knew that wasn't possible, not now. What kind of _stupid things_ was he talking about? How is he planning on making up for them? I glanced around my bepetaled room and I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.

I ran over to my dresser and rummaged around in the top drawer for a hair tie. I slipped it around my wrist and ran downstairs. I found Edward sitting in the same seat I last saw him. My body moved on its own accord. I silently walked toward Edward and leaned over the back of the couch then softly pressed my lips to his cheek.

Edward froze, he didn't even breath. "Thank you for what you did, that was very sweet."

I saw a crooked smile inch its way across his face and I knew he was pleased. I trotted back over to Alice and handed her the hair tie, she simply smiled at me, having already seen what my room looked like in a vision.

Alice finished my hair and I stood back up. "Okay, who wants to hunt? I'm starving," chuckles sounded throughout the house.

"I'll go with you. Edward why don't you come with us as well, your eyes are looking kind of dark." Alice stated and grabbed Edward's wrist and mine and pulled us out the back door.

We ran into the dark forest to look for our meals. I was surprised when I left my hunting companions in my dust – I didn't expect to be faster than them - considering I had been told Edward was the fastest amongst the Cullens.

I veered right suddenly when the meaty, woodsy scent hit my nose. My speed picked up a fraction and the yummy aroma closed in. I leapt onto a large branch just overhead of the stalking cat. It was getting ready to pounce on a moose and I was getting ready to pounce on the large feline.

I tiptoed down the branch, getting closer to my prey. I smirked as a thought hit me: the hunter is now the hunted. I leapt off the limb and sprang on the cougar effortlessly, instantly sinking my razor sharp teeth through its warm flesh at its neck. The cat didn't even have a chance to fight back let alone realize what had happened.

I drained the animal and leaned back relaxed and satisfied. I enjoyed the cool night air against my skin and there was the hoot of an owl somewhere far away. The last thing I expected to hear in the desolate forest was clapping.

My eyes immediately shot to the one that intruded on my solitude. I glanced over to see Edward walking away from a moose toward me. That was the same moose my cougar was stalking. So basically, I had taken down the cat and he went for the moose at the same time. I stood up startled, I didn't want him to see me like this; clothing askew, hair messed up, at least I didn't make a mess with the blood.

"That was very impressive...and incredibly sexy." His voice was soft and rough at the same time and had a seductive quality I recognized when Eleazar spoke to Carmen some times.

"Um, thank you, I think," I stared at him oddly.

Was he trying to seduce me? We just barely met, well, sort of. I watched him intently as he stalked directly up to me and stopped a few inches from me then leaned over my shoulder and sniffed my neck. I stood absolutely still as I felt his breath faintly on my neck and a shiver ran down my spine and my breathing became ragged.

He inhaled again and leaned back with a 'cat ate the canary' like grin. "Well it's good to know I still affect you the same way I did when you were human." I stared at him with shocked and wondering eyes. "Your arousal is very pungent to me."

My arousal?! Holy shit! He deliberately turned me on. I stormed up to him and started poking him in the chest. "So you used to do this to me when I was human? You did that for what purpose – to tease me, to humiliate me, to prove to yourself that you're attractive?"

The look on his face was a combination of confusion, astonishment and bewilderment. "Um, no actually it's because I loved seeing you blush. In fact you blushed so much, even about the little things I'm surprised you didn't come through the change with a permanent tint to your cheeks."

I glared at him for his snide comment and I flipped around to leave. Before I could break out into a run Edward's arms enclosed around my waist and he rested his chin on my shoulder. This closeness to him felt incredibly good and there was an ache in my chest telling me this was something I missed.

"I'm sorry if you took offense to anything I said. But you should know that smelling your skin, your hair, your arousal, any scent off of you is like an addictive drug to me, worse than heroin even." He whispered in to my ear temptingly.

I had never been told that a vampire could be dazzled and caused to swoon. And at this very moment I felt like melting into him. If we had been like this when I was human, how could he have left me? This feeling of love and connection is exquisite.

I leaned my back against his chest, enjoying the feeling of his muscles stiffening behind me. Just feeling the tight hold he had around my waist, his breath on my neck and his whispered words in my ear was sending me spiraling into a fabulous euphoria.

"Bella, I want you to know that I stand by what I wrote in the note. I'm sorry and I _will_ fix this. I loved you as a human and I love you even more as a vampire and I will always love you." I felt his chin scoot closer to my neck as his words grew softer and softer.

I wrenched myself out of his arms and glanced over my shoulder to him. "We'll see how you manage to fix things..." I winked at him then sped off toward the house.

* * *

_**Edward's Point of View**_

_'We'll see how you manage to fix things...' _

What did she mean by that? First the kiss on the cheek and now the wink, was she trying to torture me? I knew she didn't know the reactions my body was having to her proximity but for her to do those things, it was like being burned alive - a glorious, delicious death by fire.

Earlier, when I had followed silently behind her toward her target, I was surprised to find out that she was actually faster than I was. I shuddered internally when I saw her leap onto a branch above a mountain lion, I feared for the girl I remembered as being clumsy. She was never one for climbing trees let alone strolling out on the branch as if she owned it.

Her body was the definition of grace and beauty as she pounced on the unsuspecting animal. The second her teeth were buried into the warm neck the scent of blood hit me and I quickly moved into action and took down the moose that the cat was intending on making its dinner. Once the animal lay drained and lifeless, I stood up to see Bella finishing her meal. I couldn't help myself, the poise, nimbleness she exuded drew my attention to her like a kitten to milk, and I applauded her change in agility.

When I called her sexy she stared at me blankly, like I had just told a joke and she was waiting for the punch-line. I walked toward her sensuously and she watched every muscle of my body move. I stopped a few inches from her and on impulse I leaned in and inhaled her scent from her neck. She still smelled of strawberries but now there was the aroma of honey and roses, probably due to the shampoo they used here.

She was absolutely still and her breathing became labored when I exhaled next to her neck. I was greatly pleased when she noticeably shuttered and her aroused scent assaulted me, human or vampire I still affected the primal side of her.

When I brought up the way she responded to me she went berserk. She started pulling on strings to learn the answer for why I had done that to her. She was poking me in the chest with her dainty yet strong finger. The fury held in her honey colored eyes stunned and invigorated me, I wanted so badly to shove her to the ground and break all the barriers I had built concerning her.

What was I thinking? She a newborn, mind you a very comfortable one. We need to work on her memories before we can delve into things that are more pleasurable. When she did get her memories back, what if she decided she doesn't want me anymore?

I explained about my fascination with her blushing and she glared at me then turned quickly to leave. I couldn't let her go off angry with me. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pressed my chin on her shoulder. She seemed to melt into me when I called her my drug.

I was shocked when after I had informed her that what I wrote in the note was true she suddenly spun out of my arms, stared at me, and practically dared me to fix things. I was rendered speechless when she winked at me than ran off into the trees toward the house.

So Bella wanted me to fix everything. Now the question was how I planned to do that. I quickly took chase after my returned angel. I rapidly sprang into the house and found Bella sitting innocently in a recliner reading her book, a very small smirk on her lips as she attempted to not look at me.

Oh I see how she is, tease me then look completely blameless. I stalked toward her as if she was an unsuspecting deer and I was the hungry lion, which I was. As soon as I was in front of her, I leaned down and gripped the arms of her seat on either side of her. She was startled by my actions and looked up at me sweetly and pursed her lips minutely. God I wanted to indulge myself in those juicy red lips so badly.

"Yes?" she uttered sweetly. She is really playing up the innocent act.

I leaned my face closer to hers so my nose would just barely graze hers. "You're such a tease and you don't even know it." I pulled back slightly to look at her expression. Her eyes were wide with shock and they flashed solid ebony for a split second. I smiled crookedly at her response to me and I dropped my head once more.

My eyes closed instinctively as my face drew closer to Bella's. I was stunned when there was no jolt of electricity between us when my lips pressed upon the unmoving silkiness.

Wait, to another vampire the skin is pliable – her lips should be moving, unless she didn't want to kiss me back. My eyes popped open at the instant hurt flooding my system. There was a leather object right in front of my eyes, abstracting my line of sight.

I pulled away to see an old leather bound book between Bella and myself. It was raised to block my face from meeting hers – she didn't want me to kiss her. DAMN IT!

I was completely dumbfounded when I heard a soft giggle ring from behind the copy of Wuthering Heights. She thought this was funny?

"Why you little minx?" I reached for her book at the same time she sprang over the back of the chair and sprinted up the stairs, laughing the whole way.

A loud eruption of laughter boomed from behind me. I turned and glared at Alice and Rosalie who were clutching their stomachs from their fit of massive giggles.

_'Is that what you called whipped?' _Rosalie pretended to wipe a tear from her cheek as she let out a loud relieved sigh.

I continued to glare at her as Alice's thoughts hit me next – at least she was a little more composed than Rosalie was.

_'At least she's smiling, it could be worse you know,'_ she gave me a half-hearted smile that quickly morphed into a full out grin of excitement. "That's a brilliant idea Rose, let's do that tomorrow."

I was suddenly gifted with Alice's vision of the three of them going shopping. Bella looked slightly bored as Rosalie and Alice conversed about fashion and something about an almost missed special day. I looked over to Rose who looked confused for all of two seconds then it dawned on her what Alice was referring to.

"Let's go tell our plans to Bella," Alice grabbed Rose by the wrist and pulled her up the stairs after her.

I watched my sisters retreating forms and immediately felt envious. They would get all day together with Bella and I was only graced with an hour here or there, how could I rectify that annoying problem?

Hearing the hushed, whispered voices of my sisters and Bella irked me. What was their need to be quiet? Were they planning something? Should I be scared? I heard several giggles erupt in three different tones, a shiver ran down my spine and I couldn't help but be worried for my safety.

'_You have something to do tomorrow while we're in town.'_ A dusty image of boxes in the attic danced around in her mind. Oh great, now I was being put to work. However, if I was going to be getting dirty I would put Alice's vision to good use.

* * *

_**Charlie's Point of View**_

After almost six months, my life hadn't really gone back to normal. The police hadn't found anything, Jake and his friends hadn't found anything, nobody found anything. My only child had completely disappeared.

In a sense, she was already gone once that boy left her. Was he trying to cut himself off from her completely? No address, no phone number, no email, no contact whatsoever. How could someone be so cruel? I thought when Renee left me eighteen years ago with Bella that had been cruel but at least we kept in touch. Edward Cullen vanished from Bella's life altogether and she wasn't taking it very well.

I knew she had really liked him but I was totally unaware of how much she cared for him till he wasn't in the picture anymore. For months, she merely existed for the sake of the people around her and pretended to laugh and smile and live.

My department had exhausted all our possible leads and none came up with even the slightest good news. We had even tried to contact the Cullens in hope that they would know something, or the very least inform Edward of Bella's disappearance. To this day no one can find them, as Bella had said, they couldn't be in LA.

When she had mentioned moving to Forks I was beside myself with excitement, the precinct was relieved when Bella had finally shown up and I calmed down. Who would have thought that in less than a year she would fall in love, have her heart broken, and then vanish? It was the stuff you read about in books or watch on a movie, no one ever expects it really happen, especially to them.

I currently sat behind my desk staring out the window at the solid white landscape. It had snowed early this year; it was a white Halloween even. I'm not sure what I would prefer more, the rain or the snow. Rain was common here so people knew how to handle the wet roads but the wetness was always dreary and depressing. The snow on the other hand has beautiful and enchanting and people loved to play in it but there were always more accidents when the roads were white.

The weather reminded me of Bella's circumstances now. Did I want the dreary depressed Bella to be home where it was safe or did I hope she was somewhere beautiful and fun where her life might be in danger?

I scoffed at my inner question. Whom was I kidding? She risked her life if she got out of bed in the morning. All I could really do know was hope that she was indeed all right living somewhere beautiful, she was having fun, and she was happy again.

* * *

_**Chapter End Notes:**_

Poor Charlie, will he ever get some peace of mind.

Dang, who is more of tease, Edward or Bella? What's the almost missed special day Alice was thinking about? Anyone willing to do the math to figure it out? Moreover, what is Edward supposed to get from the attic that he'll put to good use?


	9. Sent Over the Edge

I don't own anything Twilight. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just playing around with her creation.

For those of you who haven't read my other fics, I'm sorry this was delayed for so long. I wanted to focus on finishing full moon quickly, now I can focus on Captured and Hidden.

Bella has been with the Denali's for 5 months and about 1 month between being around the Cullen's and her time in the woods. So that would put it around what time if she was changed about June 20th.

_**Previously:** Edward flowers Bella's room and apologizes. Bella and Edward have an interesting hunt. Bella teases Edward, repeatedly. Charlie reflects over the fact about Bella missing and comes to grips over what he would hope had become of her.

* * *

_

**Chapter 9: Sent Over the Edge**

_**Alice's Point of View**_

I was ecstatic to have my best friend and sister back again even if the circumstances were less than adequate. I was thrilled that Bella was now a vampire like us – I just wished her change happened on a happier note. A lot of things made me happy at the same time I was filled with sorrow. My best friend had gone through hell and she didn't even know it.

I was currently sitting in the lingerie shop in Anchorage waiting on Bella to make her selections. Thanks to Rosalie's almost passing thought, I had managed to kidnap the newborn on the premises of doing some gift shopping.

"Do you even think Bee remembers what day it is tomorrow?" Tanya had leaned over and whispered very quietly to me as her eyes locked onto the changing room door.

I glanced at her worried stare then looked at the door for a second. "If not, she should when she sees what Edward has done to your house."

Her eyes narrowed as her glare turned on me. "Alice, what have you done?"

I threw my arms up and waved them defensively. "Nothing bad I promise. It's just something to bring Bella and Edward closer." Tanya winced for a molecule of a second when I mentioned bringing the two closer. It was obvious that Tanya was still pining for her lost one-sided love for Edward. "Tanya, you're still in love with Edward aren't you?"

She blinked at me in surprised then turned her face toward the changing room with an almost peaceful smile. "In a way I'll always love him but since Bee came into my life I now know a mothers love for her child. I'm actually happier knowing she's happy with Edward than if he was to return my feelings. I now understand Esme's feelings toward the five of you and why she calls you her children."

I stared at her dumbfounded as an Esme-like smile graced her face. She had fully adopted Bella into her life, her home and her heart. She was never going to let Bella go, not unless Bella and Edward married of course...maybe not even then. It was the same with Carlisle and Esme, we would leave for a while for a honeymoon or such then we would always return but we were all part of the same family - how would it work between the Cullen's and the Denali's?

"Alice, are you insane! What would I ever need something like these for? And this piece, I'm not even sure how to put it on."

I started giggling as I listened to Bella hollering at me from behind the stall door. "Would you like me to show you how-"

"NO! If I can't even figure out how to use it – then I don't need it." Before I could respond, a lacey navy blue garter outfit flew over the door at me. "And why is everything in shades of blue?"

I sighed unhappily at the realization that she didn't remember the reason behind the color choice. "Because Edward loves that color on you," to be honest I'm surprised she didn't go bonkers at seeing the colors, considering what I heard about her hysterics previously.

Actually, I haven't witnessed any fits since that one time Edward had played her lullaby on the piano. I hope that the attacks were over now.

"When do I plan on letting Edward see my underwear?" Bella pecked over the door and glared at me, Tanya snickered at my side.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Are you telling me you _never_ want Edward to see you that way, as a woman?" Bella opened her mouth several times to speak but nothing come out, she then turned to try on more clothes. Tanya had hissed at my question and I ignored her for the most part.

"Fine, I'll pick something out. Why are we doing this now?" Bella asked in her normal inquisitive tone.

"Just making sure your ready for the future," I could just imagine the shade of red her face would be had she the ability to blush. "Plus I need the chance to think up gifts."

Bella exited the changing stall and handed me six pairs of lingerie with a curious tilt to her eyebrow. "Gifts for what?"

Should I just tell her what tomorrow is or let her be surprised? "Tomorrow is kind of a big day for us as a family and we exchange gifts." I nearly laughed aloud when I saw her start to worry her bottom lip like when she was human.

She was in deep thought so I left her and Tanya to make the purchases. I returned a few short minutes' later bags in hand and handed the dainty clothing to Bella. We left the lingerie store and walked casually down the sidewalk. Bella was silent as she thought and it was starting to bug me.

I spun around and walked backwards so I could look at her face. "Whatcha thinking?"

"I can imagine what to get everyone but the gift for Edward eludes me. I was his girlfriend not too long ago so I should have some idea of what he likes," she stopped walking and stared down at the cement below her. "I have no idea what to get him!"

I stopped walking as well and I looked at her in surprise. Her voice was dripping with frustration and the fact that what Edward wanted was something only she possessed was beyond comprehension.

I practically lunged at her and wrapped my small arms around her neck the best I could. "Oh Bella, the only thing he has _ever _wanted from you was your love, nothing more, nothing less. It's been like that since he met you and despite what you think, he will always love you - for all eternity." I leaned back to look at her and I could see the wheels turning in thought. "Lets get our shopping done, it will be dark by the time we return home," just like I planned.

We checked out a few more stores and we managed to get a gift for everyone in the two families. Bella had even succeeded in getting me something and for once, I was clueless, I would truly be surprised.

This had definitely been an interesting day. We had laughed, shopped and joked around. Rosalie had disappeared to the local Napa auto parts store to do some shopping for her newest child, the M6 convertible BMW*, Kate had joined her and that left Bella, Tanya and me to have our own fun. What astounded me the most was that not once today had Bella mentioned her throat burning or that she was thirsty. I was impressed and I knew Carlisle would be too.

We had all met up at Tanya's car and loaded up the numerous packages and bags. In no time at all, we were heading down the highway to a scene I seriously hoped Bella would love and possibly render her speechless. Now I just hoped Edward would be finished by the time we arrived, timing was everything.

* * *

_**Bella's Point of View**_

I still couldn't wrap my mind around everything. I had been told repeatedly about Edward's affections for me. However, the fact that he had left me, even if it was for my own good, though he claimed to love me endlessly still eluded me. If I had loved someone so passionately, so devotedly, there would be no way I could leave, I would figure out a solution to any problem.

What had happened to drive Edward and his family away when I was still human? Had my blood gotten to be too much for them? Had Edward grown tired of me along with always wanting to feed on me?

I sat in Tanya's car staring dully out the side window with my mind running in every way possible. The yearning in my heart and body wanted to tackle Edward and have my way with him but my brain and the ache that remained in my heart also told me to stay away.

I glanced over to Alice when she let out a rather loud laugh at something Kate had said. I hadn't heard a word while I was musing over Edward's lack of consideration for my feelings. Another thing that had innerved me was the notion that Edward left despite how I felt. If I was already this head-over-heels for him, was it a continuation of my human feelings? Moreover, if that was the case and I had been crazy for him so much that I was now pulling my hair out trying to keep from jumping him, then how dare he abandon me!

The big question now was how I should handle things with Edward. I wanted so badly to embrace him in every way possible and I could tell he reciprocated my urges, but should I give in. He left me once, what's to stop him from leaving again?

I wished Carlisle could come up with a solution to restoring my memories but he's come up clueless. The fact that Alice had none of her human memories had given me some hope but then she told me that her gift had helped in her knowledge of being a vampire, my hopes were crushed. Everyone agreed that I had a traumatic change and due to that, all my memories had been sealed away; the annoying part was that no one would tell me how it happened.

Even with my sporadic memory, this had been a fun and interesting time with the Cullens around, especially when Edward was nearby.

He was trying his hardest to prove to me the depth of his feelings and how much he regretted leaving me alone over a year ago. Overall, he was doing a fair job in convincing me, most of the time I would completely forget about the ache I felt in my chest. It was as if I was falling in love with him all over again, and considering I don't remember falling the first time this was more like falling for the first time.

I felt my lip curl up in a slight smile as I recalled his flowering my room and later making a snowman angel, complete with wings and calling it Bella. He had sat on the back of my chair, recited my book: Wuthering Heights to me, and literally wrestled Alice for the hairbrush to brush my hair. Many of his actions were simple but they were sweet and thoughtful and that's what counts.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I nearly missed the fact that the night sky was glowing a light blue the closer we got to the house. My interest peaked as the atmosphere around me became more and more excited the closer to home we got. I glanced to Tanya to see if she had an answer for everyone's strange behavior but she only looked annoyed and agitated.

My mouth dropped to the floorboard when we turned off the highway and emerged from the thick wall of trees to see our house was glowing with thousands of little white lights. Tiny star shaped votive candles flickered from on top of the frozen pond. Thin white icicles hung from the eaves of the large A-framed style mansion and dainty glowing blue and white snowflakes dangled from the trees. White and blue lights lined the railing of the porch and a few more larger snowflakes hung in the windows. With the glow of the snow and the aurora borealis starting to light the sky behind the house, everything looked ethereal*.

The van came to a stop in front of the house and everyone quickly exited the vehicle and entered the house, except me. I climbed out of the van at a snails pace and I never let my eyes leave the sight of my home. For lack of a better description, it was beautiful.

I stepped onto the first step and Edward emerged from behind a large topiary and gazed down the stairs at me. He was dressed as he usually was in jeans and a blue button-down shirt but something was different about him. He seemed shy yet confident, afraid yet fearless but in the end it was still the same man I had grown to love all over again.

Edward then diverted his eyes away from me and glanced over the house. "So what do you think? Think it will work for Christmas?"

Christmas? The special day Alice was talking about was Christmas? I looked at Edward as I ascended the stairs and stopped right in front of him. I reached up and rested my arms on his shoulders while I looked over the decorations then back to him. His eyes started to look panicked, it was as if he didn't know what to do next or he hadn't expected me to do this.

"I think they'll do..." Maybe I shouldn't have been standing where I was, maybe it was because of how close I was to Edward, maybe the magnet was at full power and it finally won out, maybe I was possessed. Could a vampire become possessed?

I stretched up on my tiptoes and connected my mouth to his. He was hesitant at first but then Edward started to reciprocate and kiss me back sweetly. My senses went on overload due to his scent in my nose, touch of his lips on mine, his hands enclosing around my back tightly. My body remembered this, the feeling, the touch, the connection and I wanted more, much, much more.

I pressed my whole body into him and tangled my fingers into his silky bronze tresses. His body froze up completely when the force of my actions had him stumbling backwards onto the house wall. I pressed my lips upon him more securely, begging him to return my affection. I was guided to heavens door when his hands cupped my face and he pulled me closer, opening his mouth slightly, inviting me in - that was one invitation I wasn't about to pass up.

My hands clenched tightly at his hair and I plunged my tongue inside his mouth. I savored the taste of him, every spicy molecule that was Edward. I moaned out loudly from the incredible pleasure of finally kissing him and Edward broke the kiss then pulled away.

"I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked on a raspy breath and he gazed at me worriedly.

We were both panting heavily and I gazed up into his blackened eyes. His dark eyes reflected my own black orbs perfectly and I forced myself away. I held him at arms length and looked down at the wood porch beneath me as I fought to gain my breath. He had asked if he hurt me! Did my moan make him think he was hurting me?

"Edward, I'm the newborn, I should be afraid of hurting you. Did you think I moaned out of pain?" he quickly nodded at my question. "Far from it, I was enjoying myself, too much probably."

He sighed in relief and leaned toward my face and I allowed a quick peck then leaned away from him giggling. "I should go hunt before things get too crazy." I slipped through his outstretched arms and sprang for the forest. I heard him growl behind me then I heard the crunching of snow trailing after me, he was chasing after me.

I didn't look back once since I could hear the snow making noise under Edward's boots. I veered left, missing a tree by an inch and continued, then veered right and chuckled as the crunching sound seemed to quiet down.

Edward wrapping his arms around my waist and brought me down to the snowy earth. Once the powder settled around us and our laughing quieted Edward leaned over and started to caress my cheek. The look in his amber eyes could have thawed my frozen body and the snow around me.

"You have no idea how euphoric I am that I no longer have to be careful when touching you. I don't have to hold back anymore. I can give as much as I receive now," he ran his thumb gently over my cheek and lips as he whispered sweetly.

"Edward," he smiled crookedly and hmmed me. "Shut up!" I fisted my hands into his shirt and pulled him down onto me until our lips meet.

We stayed lip-locked, limbs tangled together in the now new falling snow for about an hour. He nibbled his way down my neck while attempting to talk. "I think...we should do...our hunting now...before someone comes looking...for us..."

I groaned at his unwanted but correct assessment. "...fine." Edward pulled back and smiled at me sheepishly. He helped me to my feet and proceeded to brush the snow off me but I think it was just so he could cop a feel with me.

In a few short minutes, I had finished off a caribou and Edward had traveled a little further and found a huge elk to take down. After we were both full of fresh blood, we walked back toward the Denalis' home at a human pace, Edward's hand gripping mine tightly.

I guess subconsciously my body knew the answer to how I should handle things with Edward that my mind was confused about. These last few hours had been the best I could remember since awakening months ago. Things could only get better from here...right?

* * *

_**Jacob's Point of View**_

Washington - no.

Oregon - nada.

California - zilch.

Utah - zip.

Nevada - nil.

Colorado - zero.

Idaho - none.

Montana - nothing.

Eight states in six months and there was absolutely no trace of Bella what so ever. I had even taken to looking for the Cullens, but no luck there either.

I was currently running around western Canada searching for my clumsy, accident-prone best friend. Just when I thought I had broken through her invulnerable wall she had disappeared completely. It's a morbid thought but I would prefer to find something of her, even a body was better than nothing at all.

At some point in the last day or so I had ventured into Alaska, the scenery looked all the same to me after a while. I have no idea how many miles I had traveled in the last several months but it would put a UPS driver to shame. It would be nice if there was such a thing as Frequent Runner Miles, wonder how I would spend them.

I was casually walking the streets of Anchorage in human form when I was brought to an abrupt halt by a rancid and putrid smell. It smelled of vanilla and rotting flowers, my lip curled and a low growl rumbled in my chest then I took off at a frantic run - following the smell of Cullens.

I immediately disappeared into the forest and phased to my furry, powerfully self. The stench from the highway was strong enough that I could easily follow it from the trees in safety. Two hundred miles later, I finally came upon a house with Christmas decorations and the offensive odor pooled around the whole area.

I turned back to my two-legged self and donned my cutoff jeans then stalked toward the pristine cabin. I had no idea if Bella was actually here but the smell of Cullen gave me a little hope in that matter.

I stepped out of the tree line and approached the cabin cautiously, all my senses on full alert. I was surprised when a beauty with long blond hair flew out the door and stormed directly for me.

"What are you doing here mutt? This isn't your land and we haven't done anything wrong so go back to La Push!" she was snapping, yelling, and growling while waving her arms almost hysterically.

I growled back at her and bared my teeth menacingly. "I'm looking for Bella. Did you know she was missing?"

"She's not missing, she's here with us."

She's here, with them, without a word to anyone. "Why didn't she call or come home?" the blonde-haired woman winced for a split second. "You changed her. One of you changed her and that's why she can't come home isn't it."

The blond stood her ground as I yelled accusingly at her and she started to shake noticeably. "She was changed but not by any of us. Another vampire raped her, that's how she was changed; it was due to his semen. She has amnesia due to what happened."

I was repulsed by the fact that my sweet Bella had been violated and sickened even more so that it was by a dead creature.

I heard a twig snap from the tree line and turned my head to see a dumbstruck woman standing with Edward Cullen, hand in hand. Was that the vampire Bella? Paler skin, darker hair, golden eyes, same heart shaped face. It was my best friend, Bella.

I shuddered at the look on her face. Her eyes were huge, as if she had just seen a village massacred for no reason and she stood absolutely still, she had heard, oh god.

"Bell-"

"It's not true... It can't be true..."

I could hear the horror and hurt in her now musical voice. If she truly did have amnesia, then she probably had no memory of her change or the circumstances surrounding her. The fact that she had been raped by anyone would send her into a downward spiral. She wouldn't even really let me hold her hand because she thought of it as cheating on _him_. Learning she had been raped would completely devastate her. I was right. Before my very eyes I watched as she broke down before us all, even shoving a shocked Edward away from her violently.

I had finally found Bella but what had I been hoping to find? A happy safe human, with no worries, who had just wanted time away to think? If that was what I had subconsciously wished for than I was dead wrong. What I found was a broken vampire with amnesia and I had inadvertently made it worse.

At least I knew where she was now.

* * *

_**Chapter End Notes:**_

I hope I'm not in too much trouble for revealing things to Bella in that way. What do you think of Tanya and her feeling regarding Edward and Bella? Were things described well enough for you all to have a good mental image of the lights and the house.

I'm torn, maybe you readers can help me. Should I finish Captured or alternated between Captured and Hidden?


	10. Can't Handle the Truth

I don't own anything Twilight. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just playing around with her creation.

_Previously: Bella goes shopping with Alice and Tanya. Bella thinks over Edward's connection to her. Edward surprises Bella and vice versa. Jake finds the Cullen's in Alaska. Jake inadvertently lets Bella know about her change.

* * *

_

**Chapter 10: Can't Handle the Truth**

_**Bella's Point of View**_

They were lying…they had to be. I was changed from a rape? No, that's not possible – I was changed by...by...

An image of a senile redhead popped in to my head. She laughed menacingly and she looked over at a blond man and told him to do what he wanted. The blond man stared at me evilly then stalked in my direction.

Another image of a night sky and strings of lights flashed before me. There was music in the background and I was held gently to Edward's marble form. I had been trying to convince him to turn me into a vampire and he had vehemently told me it would never happen.

He didn't want me to become a vampire. He didn't want to share eternity with me. He didn't want me, period. I felt Edward's hand tighten around mine as we walked into the yard and saw Rosalie yelling with a Goliath like Indian-boy.

Their eyes grew wide to match my own and the atmosphere became so overrun with tension a chainsaw wouldn't cut it. Had what I heard really happened? Was I really the victim of a heinous criminal act?

"Bell...?" the boy across the yard spoke my name softly and pictures of him shot to my head. Us in his garage – us working on cars and motorbikes – me smiling – me screaming in bed. This boy had been my friend when the one I loved had cast me aside.

"It's not true... It can't be true..." they were lying or talking about someone else, they had to be. The next word fell from my lips before I knew what was going on.

"Jake...?" I said the name so quietly no one other than vampires could hear but he responded and took a step towards me. This was not happening. Images filled my head at an alarming rate, happy pictures, sad pictures, and heart breaking pictures. So many faces, many I knew and some I could only vaguely remember.

I released Edward's hand and shoved him away from me, sending him backwards several feet away into the snow. He looked hurt and confused by my actions, and then it was as if he had an epiphany and straightened himself and slowly walked toward me with his palms out.

"Bella, it'll be alright, we can get through this," he walked with confidence and calm then his words sank in.

"So it's true, I was... I was...and you knew about it!" he cringed at my accusation and his pace toward me slowed. His head tilted at Jake briefly and he growled, Jake had obviously thought of something Edward didn't like, I shook my head in disbelief at how things had turned out. "How could you, how could you not tell me something so important?"

"Bella, we wanted to tell you at the right time. We didn't want you to go into hysterics, we were thinking about your well-being," his eyes were begging me for understanding and right now I was finding it rather difficult to accommodate him.

I stalked toward Edward and pushed on his chest. "My well-being! You have no right to think about my well-being. Look where it got you. Everything you were hoping to avoid has happened. I've become what you never wanted me to be, I was beaten and violated because of your concern for my well-being. Well guess what, human or vampire, I can think for myself I-"

I was interrupted by a sharp stab to my temple and my hands flew to my head in an instant. I cried out as more images shot around my head.

I was lying on a hospital bed with Edward sitting next to me. He had told me he would never leave. The image then warped to a small party scene with a large cake with the name 'Bella' on it then there was blood, a lot of it. The image sifted again to a green forest and Edward was telling me he was leaving and that he didn't want me anymore. Yet again, the image changed. I was standing in a meadow of dry grass, eating a piece of cake, all alone.

"Bella?"

My head snapped up at hearing Edward's worried voice. He had failed me in everything, in staying with me, in protecting me and most importantly, in loving me. My eyes widened as I looked at him and I shook my head in an unknown panic then I turned and fled for the house and my room.

I slammed the door behind me then curled up on my bed in despair and my dry sobbing started. My memories had fully returned to me now, I remembered everything from my childhood to the moment I passed out in the boathouse.

Victoria had wanted to know Edward's weakness and since I wouldn't tell her, she had tortured me. When she felt that she could learn what she could from me, she let her underling have me. I squeezed my eyes closed tightly when an image of Riley appeared in my head.

A soft rapping on my door startled me. "Bella, can I come in please, there's something I need to talk to you about?"

I was shocked to hear Rosalie's voice and somehow managed to get out a soft and broken "yes."

She entered the room and quietly closed the door behind her then came and sat down on the bed beside me. Her eyes weren't filled with pity like what I had expected but with remorse and sympathy. I sat up slightly to look at her better and she pulled me into her arms. I was stunned completely, not once had Rosalie shown me the least bit of kindness.

"I'm so sorry this happened. I promise you, with time you'll heal. You're lucky to have the help and love of a man and two families. I didn't." I pulled myself from her tight embrace and stared at her confused.

"What do you mean, you didn't?"

She sighed and her eyes filled with sorrow. "In 1933 I was engaged to be married to a wealthy banker's son. I was returning from a friend's house one night and came across my intended who had been out drinking with friends," she paused and I could tell she was trying to control herself. "My fiancé and his friends took liberties with me that left me broken and dying. I was left in an alley to die and that's when Carlisle found me, he took me to his place where he changed me."

I stared at her in disbelief and she continued her story. "At the time it was only the four of us, Carlisle, Esme, Edward and myself, Carlisle being a doctor helped with my mental and physical damage but I had no one to help with the emotional damage. In 1935, I found Emmett about to be killed by a grizzly and Carlisle changed him. He helped to repair the emotional scars my fiancé created in me, but I had to wait two excruciatingly long years to feel normal and whole again."

"But how did you manage? I mean I'm now a ruined woman. The one and only gift I could have given Edward has been stolen from me," she giggled softly and I was a bit surprised considering the mood.

"Ruined woman? I think you should have been born in the 1900s as well. Bella, unless it was consensual don't think about it being your first time. Your first should be gentle and romantic with the one you love," she gave me a small almost shy smile. She paused again to think over her next words.

"When I was first changed I hated this life, I'm still not sure if I would have willing accepted it like you so wanted to. However, I can look back now and be glad for the outcome. I have Emmett and for that, I'm eternally grateful. Don't push Edward away; let him help you, let us all help you. We all love you and want you better. With our help you will get through this, I promise."

She pulled me in for another tight hug and whispered into my ear. "And don't punish Edward too much for being an idiot and leaving you. He did enough punishment to himself since he left." She smiled at me warmly then left the room.

I had a hard time imagining Rosalie being violated like that. Despite her calm and beautiful frame, she emitted a confident aura of a woman you didn't want to mess with. Maybe she had become a stronger person because of it. If she could work out her issue with her rape from several assailants than I could definitely work out my issues from only one. I think I was going to have a long discussion with Edward once I finally managed to compose myself.

* * *

_**Edward's Point of View**_

I stood statue still as I watched Bella escape into the house. This was not going to go well, that I was certain. I could only hope that Bella would talk to me after this, but as of right now I had bigger fish to fry, or wolf more like it.

My hand clenched into tight fists and I slowly tilted my head toward the intrusive mutt. I heard him gulp and a smirk curled my lip. Before he could take another breath, I had him slammed into a tree, my hand clutched around his throat and the dog fought for air. An image of a crying Bella invaded my mind and I lightened my hold around the pup's neck.

"What are you doing so far away from home mongrel?" I literally snarled my question; you could hear the anger oozing from tone of my voice.

He growled then chocked out his words. "I was looking for Bella," he then thought over all the miles and states he had traveled trying to find her.

"And why would they send a dog to do a man's job?" I cocked my head to the side as if I was examining him to make my point.

He struggled against my grasp and managed to gain a little more room around his neck. "They didn't send me, I searched on my own. The rest of the pack stayed behind to make sure there were no stragglers from that red-head." Flashes of Victoria, Laurent and another male being destroyed by the wolves played in his mind.

I was in so much shock that I released my hold and stumbled backwards. "You killed Victoria and Laurent."

He rubbed his neck and a smirk formed on his face. "We lost Bella's scent there, I've been searching for her ever since. Charlie said she was in the meadow celebrating _your _birthday." his voice became deeper and filled with rage. "After all the pain you caused her at throwing her away and all the time I spent trying to put her back together, she still choose you. Damn it, what's so special about being undead anyway."

I glared at his comment. "Think over your words mutt. The same girl you spent the last six months looking for is now one of those undead. The reason you lost her scent is because she turned into a vampire there and because you didn't recognize her new scent you probably thought it was the nomads."

His eyes narrowed as he focused on me. "No thanks to you. I'm assuming it was one of the males we killed that cause Bella to change than, if what the blond bimbo was saying is true."

All I could do was nod as a bombardment of memories of Bella after I left assaulted me. She had become virtually catatonic for the first several months. Then she had slowly started to interact with the world around her but she wasn't the same. You could see in her mannerisms and speech that she had become withdrawn, hollow and untrusting. I had destroyed everything that was Bella. When I saw her mount the motorcycle then crash it I winced and growled, she then apologized for bleeding.

"What's the matter bloodsucker, don't like hearing the truth?" his eyes bored into me as he smirked at my discomfort, his face then became confused. "Wait, why were you holding her hand, why are you even around her if you don't want her anymore?"

I sighed heavily as the weight of his words started to bare down on me. Bella had confided in this boy about what had happened. It was becoming more and more apparent that everyone believed my lie as the truth. Did they think so little of me that I would simply stop loving her because my brother took a snap at her – that was ridiculous!

I shook my head slowly at first then it picked up momentum. "It was a lie. I lied about not wanting her so she would let me go. I never wanted this life for her and being around us so much, it was a guaranteed fate, so I left so she could have a normal human life. But there is no way I would ever stop loving or wanting her."

Jake crossed his arms over his chest and glared at me. "So how did that work out for you - for her?" He sighed heavily and his head filled with thoughts of Charlie. Charlie would want to know about his daughter and there was no way he could know about this outcome. "I guess the problem now is what to tell Charlie. You have to know he's worried sick about Bella."

I nodded in agreement. I knew thanks to Alice visiting him and learning what she could about Bella's disappearance. For once, I couldn't think of a happy solution for Charlie or Renee for that matter. What do we tell them about their only child, that she was lounging on a beach in the south pacific? No, they would eventually go looking for her and what about the scene in the meadow.

I downcast my eyes to the snow-covered ground to my left as scenarios played out in my head. "I don't know what to tell her parents. All I can tell you is to everyone but us - she is dead. There is no way, she can see them or have them come searching for her, or someone might get hurt. Now if you'll excuse me I have to check on an amnesic newborn who has apparently regained her memories."

Jacob winced at my reminder of what his carelessness had done to the sweet girl. I turned on the spot, trudged through the snow toward the house and passed a contained and furious Tanya and Irina. My brothers and father were restraining her and trying to calm them down at what Jacob had just unknowingly done to Tanya's so-called daughter and Irina's mate.

* * *

_**Tanya's Point of View**_

"Let me go! I'm going to kill that bastard!" I was fighting tooth and nail to get free from my captives but four sets of arms were making it impossible.

"Tanya that boy has been Bella's friend for years. Think about how hurt she would be if you followed through with your threat?" I barely heard Carlisle trying to reason with me as I snarled and growled as I continued to fight futilely.

"You saw Bella's reaction, she freaked out cause of his carelessness," I could feel my eyes starting to sting as my venomous tears tried in vain to fall. This was all happening so fast and tragically and I could do absolutely nothing to rectify the situation.

"You know that's not true. Only those in this house knew what had truly happened, it was an accident." Carlisle stated firmly.

"Technically it was Rosalie's fault, she's the one that-" Kate stopped talking when Carlisle shot her a stern glare.

Every time I tried to lunge out of the house the hands on my arms and shoulders tightened, rendering me immobile. I fell to my knees in dry sobbing.

I turned my attention to Kate who was watching nearby in disbelief. "Go get rid of the trespasser for me will you?"

Kate quickly fled from the house, obviously in a hurry to get away from her psychotic sister. At the moment, I could care less what she thought. I looked at Bella as if she was the daughter I never had and that insensitive boy had just hurt her. I wanted desperately to destroy him, kill him or at the least maim him.

I continued to growl and snarl at my captives, to finally free myself and exact my revenge but arms and hands only tightened on me. After about ten minutes of futile fighting, I finally gave up and let the sobbing consume me.

A gentle hand gripping me on the shoulder startling me and I looked up to see Esme's sad yet loving face. "Let's go up and check on Bella. I'm sure she needs to talk to someone about what she learned."

I glanced out the window toward the source of the commotion and all I could see was a black head over the top of Kate, Alice and Jasper. After some hushed words and angry arm movements from Kate, I saw the black haired head return to the forest behind him.

The firm hold on me slowly released and I shot to my feet. I gave Esme a quick glance then darted for the stairs, eager to check on Bella and see how she was doing.

Without a second thought I fled to Bella's side, leaving my sister Irina in shambles at the loss of Laurent – he never sat right with me anyways – and my household was in chaos but all my concerns were focused in on a chocolate haired girl who probably felt she just lost everything.

* * *

_**Chapter End Notes:**_

Sorry if Rosalie's talk with Bella wasn't _more_, I'm not totally sure you would counsel someone on what she just learned. I think having Rosalie talk to her and explain things a bit helped, don't you.

I know, it was cruel to force all the death planning entirely on to Jake but he does come up with an excellent plan later.

What do you think of Tanya's protectiveness? Too much, just right, not enough?


	11. Questions Not Answered

I don't own anything Twilight. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just playing around with her creation.

*****TISSUE WARNING*****

_Previously: Bella goes into hysterics at learning the truth. Rosalie tells Bella about her past. Edward learns of Bella's attackers demise and tells Jacob that Bella is 'dead'. Tanya stopped from killing Jacob, she's eventually allowed to go see Bella.

* * *

_

**Chapter 11: Questions Not Answered**

_**Jacob's Point of View**_

Upon gazing on my best friend, I had been rendered completely speechless and totally immobile. I had hoped to find her but was dreading what I would find. I had braced myself for the possibility of her being dead but I was unprepared for the concept of her being undead.

Her pale white skin, her golden eyes, and the sickly sweet and pungent odor – all of that, signified her as my enemy.

To say I was shocked to see her, hand in hand with that lying, chaos inducing sack of shit was an understatement. I knew she still loved him immensely but I never would have guessed she would forgive him so quickly. When I learned she actually had amnesia, I felt my chest constrict at the knowledge that her memories had been unwittingly and painfully restored by me.

After Bella had fled into the house, her vampire boyfriend assaulted and informed me about Bella's tragic change. If I had known months ago what I know now, I would have taken my time and painfully tore those three nomads apart, inch by gory inch.

Now… now…I had to inform her family of her so-called death. How in the world am I supposed to break Charlie's hope of never seeing his daughter again? I believe that no matter how I tell him she's dead, he'll be relieved to know he doesn't have to worry about her anymore and she's at peace. However, the difficult part is telling him how she died.

I spent nearly a week traveling back towards Washington slowly while meandering around, drawing out my time to think up a plan. A way to inform Charlie of his daughters' passing while still being caring without being so dramatic and gruesome will be essential in this scenario.

I was outside Seattle's cities limits and a phased back to two legs so I could safely enter the town and maybe get something to eat. Carrying around a backpack in my mouth has been annoying but I'm glad it allowed me to bring pants, shirts and shoes with me.

Once I was fully dressed, I walked down the streets of the large city looking for a quick place to grab a bite to eat. Another minute passed and I walked into a nearby McDonalds and placed my order. The eyes of the unfortunate girl behind the counter enlarged as she repeated back my order of three Big Mac, two fries and a shake.

With food in hand, sitting at a small table, I dove in. I bit into the huge juicy hamburger and moaned in pleasure, deer and rabbit were not very good raw. I stopped mid chew when some high school girl sat down behind me and started crying.

"I don't understand, he was always so careful on his motorcycle," the first girl sobbed loudly.

"I know, but they said it wasn't Ethan's fault. The car cut him off and he lost control," the second girl tried to calm the other.

The first girl wailed louder, I could literally hear the tears hitting the table, damn super wolf hearing. "God, why did he have to drive that stupid thing? I told him not to."

Another girl chirped in "Is it true that he looked so bad they had to cremate him?"

Wow, she was extremely insensitive. I'd hate to see... wait…cremate, that might work. Bella was in an accident and dies and they cremate her. Hmm, now I need to work out the finer points of this plan. So I quickly wolfed down the rest of my food and sprinted outside

I need to have some proof as to Bella's person and a story. First, let's worry about the evidence. I glanced up and down the street for a store that would have something I could use as an urn.

This was my lucky day. There was a Goodwill store at the end of the street. I ran inside and swiftly browsed the aisles. Nestled in behind some vases was a rounded bowl like vase with a locking lid. I snagged it up, made my purchase and exited the store.

Right about now, I was glad I packed my wallet into my backpack.

On a sad note, I now needed to fill the urn with _Bella's remains_.

Still as a human, I hiked out of town toward a nearby campground. After rounding up some wood, I found an empty fire pit and went to work getting a fire going. I burned the wood down until it was just a pile of ash. I hope that there was no way to get DNA from ashes, because there isn't any.

I sat for several hours, rooting around in the ashes, mixing them up so they could cool down faster. While I sat and waited, I thought over my plan on what to tell Charlie about his daughter, my best friend...my enemy.

* * *

_**Charlie's Point of View**_

I was not expecting to see a six foot something Quileute boy sitting on my porch steps when I arrived home. Tomorrow would be Christmas so I should have known he'd be around.

He was sitting there, in the falling snow, his foot vibrating anxiously and a box about a square foot to his right. I had hoped to see Bella what with the impending holiday tomorrow but she was never one for celebrating, much like me.

I sat in the car, staring at Jacob for several minutes. When he finally glanced up at me with a heartbroken expression, I finally killed the engine. The look in his eyes was miserable and foreboding and it gave me the strongest feeling of a bad omen.

I walked toward him at a snail's pace, pulling my keys from my pocket. "Hey Jake, what brings you by?"

Jake stood up and straightened his back and his height was very disconcerting. "Um, I have news of Bella," his eyes immediately dropped to the ground in front of him, this was not a good sign.

After unlocking the front door, I led him inside and to the couch. I sat in the recliner while he took up most of the space on the small sofa. His eyes remained trained on the box in his hands then he closed them for several minutes, obviously trying to sort out his words.

"Just say it Jake, the silence is worse!" I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back against the cushion.

He took an enormous breath and let it out then his eyes slowly opened and focused on me. "I found her."

Part of my heart jumped into my throat and the other part fell into my stomach at his words. He said he found her but it was obvious that she wasn't with him. I remained silent and nodded my head for him to continue.

"I found her in a hospital in Alaska. I identified a picture they took. From what the staff told me of the Jane Doe is that a Good Samaritan found her on the side of the road, beaten very badly and unconscious. She had internal bleeding that required surgery but unfortunately, there was some stuff they found later they couldn't fix, she died a week later. I arrived three days later, and they gave me this once I had told them who she was and my relation to her," Jake slowly handed me the box and I hesitantly took it.

Having worked for the police force for as long as I have I knew in my head what the box contained but my heart was screaming that it wasn't true. I slowly pealed back the top flaps and gazed numbly down at the ceramic container.

"I hope you don't mind that I bought her a better vase, the one they gave was...kind of depressing," I shook my head in reply to his question. "Well, I'll go ahead and head toward home, I'll tell dad you said hi."

I nodded slightly and stayed seated on the couch as Jacob left. I stared down at the small container that held my only daughter, my only child. At least she wasn't in any pain anymore, which was the only good thing about this whole ordeal.

I had to swallow several times just to keep from losing my lunch. I dreaded what I needed to do next but it needed to done, she needed to know.

Holding onto the box tightly, I stood up and walked into the kitchen. I pulled the urn out of the box and placed it on the countertop. I did absolutely nothing but stare at it for probably an hour, still in shock that my little girl was gone. With a shaky hand, I reached for the phone and pressed the numbers for my ex-wife.

I was a bit surprised when it was picked up on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hello, Renee..."

"Oh, Charlie, please tell me they found her?" there was so much hope in her voice it was heartbreaking, I had to do this.

I took a deep breath to calm my rattled nerves. "Yes, Jake found her..."

"Where was she? Is she all right? Why did she leave? Was she with that Edwin boy? Is she there now?" She rambled off question after question without letting me answer one first.

"RENEE!" She went silent then. "She was in Alaska, no she's not alright, she was kidnapped, no she wasn't with _Edward _and yes she's here."

"She is, let me talk to her!" It was practically an order.

"I can't do that," please let her get it without me having to say it aloud.

"Why not, is she sleeping?" No such luck I guess.

"Because Renee, she's incapable of speaking now," please don't let her be so naive, for once.

There was an extremely long pause then a sharp intake of breath. "It's not because her throat is sore is it?"

I don't know why but I shook my head and gazed at the vase again before I closed my eyes as tightly as I could get them. "No, it isn't."

"Charlie...no..." her voice has grown incredibly shaky.

"There was internal bleeding, the doctors tried to help but they..." I couldn't finish the sentence. I heard the phone clatter to the ground as Renee let out a gut wrenching wail. She may have been flighty but she does love her daughter, very much so.

After about half an hour of listening to her cry, I managed to calm her enough to retell what Jacob had told me. I then agreed to send her half of Bella's ashes so we could both always have our daughter with us. With consoling over, we said our goodbyes and hung up.

I returned the phone to the receiver then gripped the edge of the counter as my breathing became labored and heavy. I gasped repeatedly and fought for oxygen that didn't want to fill my lungs. Still having a death grip on the counter, I fell to my knees and let the last five months bare down on me.

No matter how much I tried, the tears would not stop. I'm sure after nearly two hours of sobbing, I was dehydrated so I pulled myself offer to the sink and grabbed a glass of water. Water may not be my favorite beverage but I knew when dehydrated, beer wasn't the best choice of drink.

Glass in hand, I stumbled over to the couch and stared at the blank TV screen. I rested my head on the back of the couch and stared up at the brown ceiling. One thought kept running through my mind.

At least she wasn't suffering anymore.

* * *

_**Bella's Point of View**_

Why me, what did I do to deserve this? Fall in love with a vampire, would willingly give him my humanity in exchange for an eternity with him, or maybe it was because no matter what the circumstances - I would never forget him.

After Rosalie's little talk, Tanya and Esme had shown up to check on me also. They were both in a panic of how I was doing, how I felt about learning the truth and were my emotions were, based on everything. It took me quite a while to get them calmed down and reassured that for the most part, I was fine – I just needed to do a lot of thinking.

That is why I had locked myself in my room, sat in the center of the bed, head resting on my knees - thinking and reflecting. After nearly a week of keeping to myself and letting my families worry endlessly about my welfare not to mention the growing burn in my throat that was slowly convincing me to join the land of the un-living.

I glanced up toward the door, looking but not seeing, I barely even registered the objects that seemed to be floating around the room. I was so lost in thought and confused as to what to do now that all I could think about doing was sit and wallow. I returned my head to my knees and returned to my wallowing.

There was a faint knock on the door and my head snapped up immediately. There was the sound of several things crashing to the floor all at once but I was focused on the person that had dared to knock on my door.

"Bella, are you okay? What was that crashing sound?" Tanya asked worriedly. "Honey, it's been a week now, please come out and join us."

Her voice was pleading, begging me to come out of my self-induced purgatory. Is this how Edward was before me? Always alone and wallowing in self-pity? I flinched and gritted my teeth at that thought – I did not want to be like Edward in that way.

I slowly crawled to my feet then made my way to the door and slowly pried it open. A weak smiling Tanya greeted me.

"We'll all help you through this, you're not alone in the slightest," her words were touching and I threw myself at her, wrapping my arms around her neck as the sobbing started again. "Think you're strong enough to make an appearance?" She gazed down at me and winced. "And maybe go out hunting?"

I smiled meekly at her question and joke then nodded. I knew my eyes had to be almost completely black by now. Tanya took my hand affectionately then gently pulled me down the stairs and into the living room.

Just as I remember, Emmett and Jasper were glued to the TV playing games; Alice was flipping through a bible sized fashion magazine. Esme, Kate and Carmen were talking amongst themselves in the kitchen, Carlisle and Eleazar were debating about my possible gift. I heard Rosalie clanking around in the garage and Edward had his head laid down on the chessboard, rolling an overturned queen back and forth.

"Who wants to join us on a hunt?" Tanya asked as she stared into my black eyes.

As predicted, Edward was on his feet in a flash and so was Alice but she sprinted over to me and wrapped a tiny arm around my left arm then whispered quietly against my shoulder. "You'll be alright, trust me."

I vaguely remembered being told as a human that no one ever bet against Alice. I nodded in acknowledgment and smiled weakly down at her. "Shall we hunt, I'm very thirsty."

"Well it has been about three weeks since you hunted last little sis," Emmett stated before his booming laughter rattled the windows.

I gave him a weak smile also and slowly allowed Alice to pull me toward the back door. Once outside I allowed the fresh air to fill my lungs. The smell of pines and new fallen snow smelled heavenly. When a gentle hand grasped my shoulder from behind, I startled and sprang off the porch, growling at my unknown assailant.

Edward stared down at me, his hands held up in surrender and he was mouthing sorry repeatedly. He slowly descended the steps when my growling stopped but my gaze stayed locked on him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You have nothing to be fearful of, I'll never hurt you and the ones that did this to you were taken care of."

I completely relaxed but I continued to stare at Edward, him telling me that the real monsters responsible in my tragedy were taken care of confused me. "What do you mean?"

"I'm saying that the three that...the wolves destroyed them," what was he talking about? "What wolves? I'm totally confused," I shook my head from side to side. Maybe if I shook my head hard enough, maybe things would start to make sense.

Edward looked at me surprised. "You didn't know about the Quileutes? When vampires are near, some of the Quileute boys shift into werewolves..." he trailed off and his face turned a little sad. "And they're capable of killing us. They found your attackers and killed them."

I stared at him, dumbfounded by his explanation. He looked glad, disappointed, saddened and furious all at the same time. I was especially pleased to hear that these wolves had torn...and...and...apart, I couldn't even say their names. Suddenly shame took over my body I felt sick. The wolves knew what happened to me, they knew I was... I ran out the back door and dry heaved into the pristine white snow below me.

"Bella?" Edward rushed to my side, rubbing my back during my violent reaction. "What's wrong?"

"The wolves knew what happened? They knew I was-"

"No they didn't. They just know that your scent vanished from the boathouse but they didn't know how," Edward interrupted me quickly, eager to make me feel better. "When Jacob showed up the other week, that's when he learned about how you were turned."

I kneeled in the snow, staring at the white mounds of frozen water flakes. He said the wolves had killed them so how did Jake fit into this. I sat and thought deeply as Edward continued to console me. Wolves, dead, Jake, wolves, change, killed, Jake...

Like a cartoon, I could see the light bulb before me turning on. "Jake's a wolf isn't he?" Edward nodded in a noncommittal way but it was a nod nonetheless. Sure why couldn't werewolves exist, I mean vampires do, I was nonliving proof of that. Heck maybe even dragons and ghosts exist too.

"Bella, are you going to be alright?" The worry in Edward's eyes was deep and evident.

I slowly got to my feet and brushed the still solid snow from my jeans. "Sure why wouldn't I be, just because I learn that my best friend was secretly a shape shifting beast and my cold-hearted, ex-boyfriend who for all intents and purposes left me for dead a year ago is a vampire, I'm perfectly fine," Edward flinched and downcast his eyes in shame at my words.

Anger filled me and I had to vent on something other than family so I stalked angrily into the forest. As soon as I was within the trees, I noticed a strawberry blond woman approaching from my right.

"Where have you been?" I asked angrily.

"Alice said to leave you two for a minute. She said you two needed a moment alone," Tanya spoke delicately and sorrowfully.

"Gee thanks," I didn't know what else to say in response.

My life these last few weeks had gone from blinding bliss to absolute horror in one point three seconds and I didn't know how to get past it. Before my abduction, I was starting to accept the reality that my fantastic boyfriend was never going to come back because he had grown bored with me and didn't love anymore, and now, now, he was back in my life. However, did he really feel something for me again or was it just pity for the poor amnesiac newborn vampire?

My head and heart were at war again over the same thing they always fought about, Edward.

* * *

_**Chapter End Notes:**_

I know this was a sad chapter, but at least Charlie and Renee have closure now, right. Just a warning, this story is only going to be 15 chapters long which means 3 more chapters and an epilogue. Please don't freak out on me because of it.


	12. Gifts Aren't Always Good

I don't own anything Twilight. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just playing around with her creation.

_Previously: Jacob stops in Seattle for food and devises what to tell Charlie about Bella. Charlie learns what happened to Bella, according to the story Jacob thought up. Charlie calls Renée and promises her some of Bella's ashes. Bella goes into depression. Tanya convinces her to go hunting.

* * *

_

**Chapter 12: Gifts Aren't Always Good**

_**Bella's Point of View**_

Due to the hell, we were all currently going through, any form of celebration had been postponed, which meant Christmas and New Years were now behind us. I knew everyone was just trying to protect me and I do appreciate the thought but in a way, I'm glad I found out. Not knowing how I had become a vampire and knowing that Edward had left me but not remembering why was driving me crazy. Now I need to work through the facts that an insane vampire had violated me and despite that, I wasn't a ruined woman.

I had been an enigma of emotions for the last two weeks after I had delivered myself from myself imposed purgatory, Jasper had even run from the house screaming because I was too much for him. Confusion, hurt, love, loneliness, longing, sorrow, abandonment, and lust were just a few of what Jasper had complained about, half of them I wasn't even aware of.

Now that I had back my memories, Eleazar could identify my ability without any shadow of a doubt. What he told us shocked everyone. I was a manipulative shield, which meant I could wrap a shield around anything and do what I wanted with it. Eleazar was greatly pleased with my gift, stating that no one he had ever encountered had a shield like mine, that I had incredible potential.

What Eleazar had planned for me next dumbfounded me. He had drawn up an elaborate itinerary for me to follow and about seventeen hours out of each day involved me learning to control my power. I eagerly welcomed the training for the most part it got my mind off focusing on Edward and the hell he had left me to endure all on my own.

Eleazar had even enlisted Jasper for his expertise in warfare and together they formulated a better plan. The two of them snagged Emmett and myself and dragged us into the woods behind the house. They faced Emmett and I off in front of each other and told me to catch whatever Emmett thrown at me. It took Emmett two seconds for him to throw several enormous snowballs at me.

On instinct, I reached up in an attempt to catch the airborne orb of snowflakes. It turned into powder the moment it collided against my palm. I shook the remaining snow from my face and glared at Eleazar and Jasper who were snickering about twenty feet away.

"Bella, we meant catch with your shield not with your face," Jasper rushed to say since he was fighting off a full-blown laugh.

I snickered a less than humorous laugh at them then looked back toward Emmett, just in time to see a tree flying at me. Impulse took over and I closed my eyes and tilted my head, waiting for the impact to strike. It never came. I cracked an eyelid then the other. I was shocked to see the gigantic tree hovering in midair five feet from me. Emmett was waving his arm underneath it as if it was some kind of magic trick.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the hovering log. I walked around the tree, gawking in total astonishment. Had I really done this, this was my power?

"No way!"

The sudden familiar voice distracted me and the tree dropped from its suspended animation, landing on Emmett's arm. I didn't turn around to look, I already knew whom it was and I froze like a statue. Even after all that he had done, or not done, his voice still had the ability to turn me to putty. I heard him approaching from behind me; snow wasn't exactly the best for stealth walking.

"How was that tree held up in the air?" I saw Emmett nod his head toward me. "Bella, she held it up? My Bella did that?"

I cringed at his last two words, not because of the ownership of them but because of the amount of skepticism in his voice. I rounded on him after five seconds of silence from all around. Edward flinched backwards upon my sudden movement.

"Yes, it was me! Petite, clumsy, uncoordinated, pathetic, broken Bella," with each adjective I used to describe myself, my anger grew each time. "What's the matter, can't believe that the once fragile human could actually have a power?"

"Um…no…that's-"

I cut him off, tired of hearing his excuses. "After you left, I fought tooth and nail to pull myself back together. I've escaped vampires, ridden motorcycles and apparently hung out with werewolves, controlling a power should be a piece of cake," I could see my fuming, black eyes reflected in his scared, golden ones and I started to poke him in the chest. "And you, Mr. High and mighty, all-hearing, overprotective, over thinking, psycho-emotional vampire asshole, _**newsflash**_ – I ceased to be yours the day you threw me away and left me in the forest, screaming myself hoarse hollering for you. I am no longer _your_ Bella," Edward stared at me dumbfounded and at a loss for words. I could see it in his eyes that my words had struck a nerve somewhere within him because he looked on the verge of tears, not that they could help him in this case if they could fall.

"Um, Bella…" I snapped around quickly, enraged that someone had interrupted my tirade.

"WHAT?" I shouted and glared at Jasper who was staring down at the ring of rocks surrounding Edward and me. I stared at the rocks planted in the snow, uncovered by the white powder. I don't remember those when we got here. I gave Jasper a curious eyebrow lift.

He arched an eyebrow in response. "Bella, you moved those rocks on your own and they were aimed directly at Edward."

My head snapped up to look at Eleazar who nodded, as did Emmett. Edward kept his face lowered and his eyes on the rocks, I could swear I understood what was going through his mind as he stared at the solid objects. He was shocked that he was the target for the, which made sense considering how livid he made me.

"I can honestly say I didn't know about the rocks but can you really blame me?" I crossed my arms and glared narrowly at the man in front of me. His eyes were still downcast and filled with sadness.

After minutes of absolute silence, he finally looked up at me and spoke. "No matter what you may think, I have always loved you and always will."

Despite how heartfelt his words were I couldn't hide the skepticism I felt in my heart and my head and the growl that echoed from my throat agreed with the rest of me. Edward flinched at my snarl and I almost felt bad for him, almost.

"Even if what you say is true and you _do_ love me, it's going to take more than sweet words and a crooked smile for me to get over the pain you caused me when you left," he sighed heavily at my terse words because he knew I was right. "I now remember what happened and its going to take time getting over what happened to me."

He stared intently at me, seeing if my face held any conviction of my words, he nodded once when he realized that everything I had said was true. I was sad that my words hurt him but they were the truth and he needed to understand that I wasn't going to just fall back into his arms the moment he came back into my life.

"I completely understand seeing as it was a very traumatic experience. If there is anything, I can do to help you get things back to the way you want them, please let me know," Edward leaned forward and kissed my forehead, as he had done so many times before. He then gave me small smile and walked away toward the house.

I crossed my arms over my chest and watched as he slowly walked away in to the trees. My hands tightened into fists at the urge to rush to him and take him in my arms and show him my love but there was an ache in my heart, and I still needed to get past it.

Edward had left me a year ago, taking with him the one thing I cared for most, himself. Since it wasn't possible for me to take away his one thing, he cared about most, since it was me, I would take the next best thing.

Emmett cringed when I looked evilly over at him. "Oh Emmett, could I ask you a favor? It involves getting back at Edward."

He stood absolutely still, nervousness seeping from around him. Was he that scared about what I would ask him? I walked up to him slowly, stood on my tiptoes and whispered into his ear what I wanted him to do and a smile creped across Emmett's face.

Everyone else may think it's a trivial thing, but it will make me feel better.

* * *

_**Edward's Point of View**_

Once Bella, and the guys returned from their training session, I wanted so badly to rush over to the girl and take her in my arms, but her words from earlier played repeatedly in my head. She had a point. After what I had done, after I had ripped her heart and soul apart and leaving her body a soulless, walking thing when I left…she needed time. This was the only case where I could argue that time moved quickly for vampires. I wanted her in my arms now, to feel her lips on mine, and her fingers in my hair…I could feel every second that ticked by while I waited for our true reunion.

Bella walked right passed me without so much of a passing glance and headed straight upstairs, a small smirk on her lips. She was cooking up something inside that silent mind of hers, of that I was positive.

Eleazar and Jasper wondered over to the chess table and immediately immersed themselves into a rather intense game. From the way their minds were scheming, I had a feeling this was going to be a very long game.

I glanced at Emmett curiously when he starting imagining a bear dancing to Swan Lake in a tutu. My eyebrow arched upward when a bunch more woodland creatures dressed the same as the bear and dancing as well joined in the bears activity. He walked over and quickly lifted Rosalie from her seat in the recliner, sat down and placed her on his lap.

Something was definitely up. Normally if Emmett wanted to keep me out of his head he would picture his wife naked or her doing things to him. There was something undeniably unusual about Emmett's behavior.

I watched the chess game proceed but kept my ears and mind trained on Emmett, something was up and I needed to know what. Things with Emmett involved were never a good thing; he enjoyed practical jokes too much to consider myself safe.

"I need to go away for a week."

Hearing Emmett's not so quiet whisper got my attention. Where was he going? I tilted my head slightly so I could see them from the corner of my eye.

"What do you mean, you need to go away, what the hell does that mean?" snapped Rosalie.

Emmett sighed and sifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Bella asked a favor of me and I need to retrieve something from our home in Canada. If I leave tomorrow, I should be back within a week."

Rosalie whined and started kissing his cheeks and jaw line. "Couldn't I just go with you?"

"I did debate that but I thought maybe you could help Bella out some more. Show her that her life will be alright, she will be alright."

She nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll let you go but you have to make it so I last for the next week without you." A smile appeared on his face as Rosalie jumped from his lap, grabbed his hand and pulled him from the house.

Thank god, they were leaving the house to do their activities; I don't think I could handle hearing them. In addition, if Bella heard them I don't want to imagine the ramifications that might follow.

Now that the house was free of the sex-crazed monkeys, I cautiously walked up the stairs, nervous beyond all get out. I stopped outside Bella's room and took several unnecessary deep breaths then knocked on the door gently.

"Yes?" Her voice answered quickly before she pulled the door open and stared up at me inquisitiveness written on her face.

"Um, I was hoping you could join me outside on the porch?" I ran my hand shyly and embarrassingly through my hair; honestly, I was surprised I even managed to get the question out. It used to be so easy talking with her, why the sudden change.

"Why don't we go out on the balcony, its closer?" she pointed to the French doors on the opposite side of the room and I nodded sheepishly. I followed her through the doorway and we stood in silence on the snow-covered balcony. "Obviously you want to talk to me, what about?"

I clenched my hands into fist to avoid reaching out for her, the need to touch her was getting painful but I fought it. "I know this probably isn't the best time for this discussion but I hate being in limbo and I know you do too." She nodded in agreement and I continued. "After what happened to us this last year and learning what harm can befall us when we are apart, I want you to know that I will _NEVER, EVER_ leave your side again. I'll be like glue, stuck to your side; a crow bar couldn't pry me away. Even if you ordered me away, I wouldn't go; it hurts too much to be away from you." I paused to think over my next words. "If things had gone differently…I would have been back by the start of our senior year."

Bella continued to stare at me, saying nothing. It looked as if she was thinking but your guess was as good as mine was.

* * *

_**Alice's Point of View**_

Maybe it just took some time, maybe in a few more days my gift wouldn't be so sporadic any more. Ever since we had learned about Bella's shielding talent had now rendered my talent almost null-n-void. Before the restoration of her memories, I had absolutely nothing, just a fog whenever I tried to see Bella, but now, I was getting a fragment here and a morsel there.

I would sit for hours on end, hoping to get anything regarding my best friend. Now that the Quileute wolves knew about Bella and the fact that, she was still 'alive', it was imperative that I learn what her future held.

To say that I was surprised when I actually got a vision of Bella was an understatement.

_Edward and Bella were standing on the back balcony the snow falling down gently as if they were feathers in a light breeze. Edward telling Bella how much he loves her, how much he has always loved her, and will always love her. Telling her that despite what she thinks, she is far from a ruined woman. _

"_I have a question to ask you." He kneels down on one knee and takes her hands in his then gazes up into her slightly shocked face. "I know that we still have a lot to work through and we will, together. I nearly lost you when James attacked, I lost you to my own stupidity when I left, I thought I lost you when you disappeared from the meadow, and I feared I'd lost everything we had when you had amnesia. I don't want to lose you again ever again." He reached into his back pocket and held out a delicate platinum band with a small heart shaped diamond up to her. "Bella, I'll love for the rest of eternity and even longer if we're allowed…If you're willing, please say you'll be my wife."_

_Bella stared down at him, a mixture of shock, love, hurt, and determination on her face, and in her eyes. She fell to her knees in the snow in front of Edward and looked deeply into his eyes then smiled. "Yes, I'll be your wife…but there is one thing I need to do first."_

My vision cut off there. I sat on the couch staring at the wall in shock for several reasons. One, I wasn't actually trying for a vision at that moment. Two, that was an amazingly long vision for a vision regarding Bella. Three, Edward proposed and Bella said yes. I jumped up from the couch and started to do a crazy dance in the middle of the room. I was so happy that I ignored the many questioning eyes watching me.

"Darlin' what's got you so worked up?" Jasper asked with a hint of concern in his voice as he got to his feet by the chess table and took a step toward me.

I was too excited for words. I bounced my way over to my husband then wrapped my arms around him and continued bouncing, completely messing up the chess game in the process.

My brother was getting married and Bella was officially going to be a member of the Cullen family.

* * *

_**Chapter End Notes:**_

What do you think about Bella's gift? Do you think Edward explained his feelings well enough? I hope so, I was having trouble thinking up the right words. So who's glad Alice finally had a vision?

Warning: two chapters and the epilogue left. I can't believe it's almost over.


	13. What A Smashing Idea

I don't own anything Twilight. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just playing around with her creation.

* * *

_Previously: Bella begins her training and has some surprising results. She asks for Emmett's help in something. Edward is curious as to why Emmett is leaving for a week. He tries to explain to Bella that he'll never leave again, that he __**does**__ love her. Alice finally has a vision regarding Bella and it's of Edward proposing to her. Bella says yes but she has to do something first.

* * *

_

**Chapter 13: What a Smashing Idea**

_**Edward's Point of View**_

Anything Bella asked of me, I would do…even jumping off a cliff onto a floor of spikes. However, she had told me to wait a week so she could complete whatever it was she needed to do first. The worst thing about this week was that she wouldn't tell me what that thing was.

All week I had sat on the back porch and watched as Eleazar and Jasper tested and practiced with Bella's gift, tweaking it into submission. I was fascinated as her skills increased from rocks to logs to boulders to cars – which got a rise out of Rosalie, since she was seat inside it.

I was impressed at how quickly she was learning to control her telekinetic shield. It had taken me longer to grasp my own ability, granted that took a lot of self-control and realizing what were thoughts or actual spoken words.

Everything Bella did astonish me. She had wrapped the Denali's and her gift around her little finger, she had taken to this life as if she had been a vampire her whole life, and she seemed to be overcoming the misfortune that brought her into the dead life.

Rosalie was a huge factor in recovering from her attack. They were having daily 'therapy' sessions in hopes of her getting better. I accidently over heard the end of their latest session.

"_What do you remember of your attack?" my sister asked evenly._

_It was quiet for a long time before Bella shakily started to speak. "Laurent found me in the meadow then took me a rundown boathouse where Victoria tortured me for information on Edward. Once I told her what Edward's weakness was she told…Riley he could do what he wanted with me." there was another long pause and I knew Bella was fighting for the right words. "I remember him ripping my close…then everything kind of went black…"_

_Oh thank god, she doesn't actually remember the violation happing. I hope that, that would help in some way or another._

"_So you don't remember anything after your clothes being ripped?" I saw through Rosalie's eyes as Bella bit her lower lip and shook her head no. "That's actually a good thing. I wish I couldn't remember but unfortunately I can and it took me years to finally get pass it. You have the opportunity to recreate your first time in a better way of your choosing. And you have a great guy who is offering you everything he is just to be with you, someone who always asks and never takes." _

_I watched fixedly as a small smile worked its way over her lips and she nodded in agreement. Thank you Rosalie. _

That happened two days ago, granted she had already said yes to my proposal by then but she still seemed distant. After her talk with Rose, she seemed to smile more and often just wanted to cuddle with me on the couch. I had started a mantra in my head: _thank you Rose, thank you Rose…_. Even though she was still distant in some ways, in others, she was better and I couldn't really complain.

When Emmett arrived home later that evening, I was dumbfounded to see my Volvo sitting on a trailer behind Emmett's jeep. What in the world was he doing with my car? I hesitantly walked toward my brother, constantly keeping my eyes on the Volvo.

"Emmett, what is going on?"

He smirked as he walked to the trailer and started to release the straps holding my baby to the trailer bed. "Bella asked me to bring it." The mischievous grin that curled his lip made me extremely uneasy.

I felt the presence of my love behind and I spun around instantly to gaze up at her. She had an almost evil gleam in her eye that heightened my nervousness. She stayed on the porch but examined every movement Emmett made to unhook the Volvo.

"Edward, remember when I said there was one thing I wanted to do before I married you?" Her voice was flat, emotionless and I gulped involuntarily as a wicked smile materialized on her angelic face.

After chancing a glance to my car then back to her and nodded hesitantly, I prepared myself for whatever she was planning. She waved her hand to the side, indicating that I should move to my left. I side stepped slowly to the left and looked up at her, waiting, fearful of what her next move will be. She moved her index finger and thumb to make an 'O' and I stopped all movement, including my lungs.

"Considering how much you hurt me when you left…I think it's only fitting that I hurt you, in some way." Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest then her eyes darted to behind me. "Say bye-bye Edward."

Bye-bye? I wasn't going anywhere! Why would she…wait…? OH SHIT! I turned just in time to kiss the door my Volvo as it slammed into me. Naturally, there wasn't a scratch on me; my Volvo on the other hand didn't fare so well. Thanks to the unbending, unyielding nature of my body, there was a perfect impression of me in the side of the car about four feet deep. She let it fall to the ground in front of me and there was no doubt – my car was definitely totaled.

Everyone rushed outside upon hearing the loud crashing sound. They all stared at me in shock then slowly turned their heads to look at Bella, equally shocked. Their minds were all asking the same question – did Bella just smash the car into me.

I stared at her in surprise. All she wanted to do before we married was to smash my Volvo…or maybe it was the fact that she smashed _it_ into _me_? She then sighed in relief and smiled down at me sweetly. What was I getting myself into by marrying her?

* * *

_**Bella's Point of View**_

Ahhh…destroying Edward's prized Volvo had instantly made me feel so much better. I heaved a sigh of relief at feeling the weight baring down on my heart lifted. I know I probably should have been the bigger man – er, vampire and not sought revenge for the pain he caused but I needed to relieve the pain somehow and demolishing his Volvo up side his gorgeous head seemed like the right course, and it was.

"Now, I'll marry you," I told him cheerfully and gave him a loving smile. He continued to stare at me blankly.

Before I could say or do anything else, Alice jumped on my back, hugging me tightly around the neck…then she started.

"When's the day? What colors do you want? Whom are you going to invite? Do you have a theme in mind? Where do you want to have the ceremony? What flowers do you want? How do you want your hair? How many-"

I pulled the wedding Nazi off my back, thrust her at Jasper and literally fled the porch screaming all the way to my room. I entered my room and locked the door, why I locked it I didn't know, in a house full of vampires it was pointless.

"Bella?" I spun around instantly and pressed myself against the door as I gazed at my Adonis standing beside the window.

"Edward, would you stop doing that!" I whispered a shout at him and he just smirked then walked toward me. I swear he enjoys making scaring me and making me jump.

"I don't blame you for running away screaming, I debated myself but you beat me to it. There is one of those _numerous_ questions I was curious about though," he rolled his eyes and emphasized the word numerous. I thought over the many questions Alice listed off and waited for Edward to elaborate. He leaned down and ran his lip gently across my ear lobe causing me to shiver in what I hoped was pleasure. "Do you know what day you want to get married?"

I was still coming to grips with the idea that I was getting married and now he wanted to know what day. I gazed into his dark golden eyes to see if they had an answer. I had a briefly memory flash through my mind – I remember the first day we met. his eyes were a dark onyx, a color I had never seen on a human before. Then when I saw him next, they were a supernatural rich golden brown.

"I can think of only one day that would be perfect," I smiled and gazed deeper into his eyes. "How about we get married on the first day we met?"

"Are you sure you want to marry on _that_ day? I'm sure there are better days," his eyes widened as he thought over the events of that day. I nodded vigorously, wanting to show him I was certain about the day.

"Even if we were acting strange and distant that first day in biology it still changed my life. I know you left for a week after that but even if you hadn't returned I would have asked your siblings. You drew me to you the first day I saw you. I tried for a week to get you out of my head, that you didn't mean anything to me so I shouldn't worry, but I failed…miserably." My eyes darted to his lips for a split second before I forced them back up to his eyes where one of his eyebrows arched at my involuntary distraction. "Unknowingly, you became everything to me that day. I didn't realize how deeply you were ingrained in my system until you left me, it destroyed me."

Edward winced and looked away when I brought up his lack in judgment that resulted in our separation. "I'm so sor-"

I cupped his face in my hands causing him to go silent and look at me. "Edward, you are more my everything now then you ever were. Were together again and we will be together for forever here soon. I thing binding our lives together for eternity on the day we met shows how far we've come from that day."

Finally, he smiled a true blissfully happy smile. "Alright, you've made your point; we'll get married in just over a week."

He then gave me the sweetest kiss I could ever remember getting from him. He kissed as if he was scared of how I would react and yet he was trying to show me how much he loved and wanted me with this simple pressing of our lips together. In about a week, we'll be able to kiss without any restrictions or fear.

* * *

_**Jacob's Point of View**_

When I stumbled outside into the five inches of snow in only my boxers early in the morning, I thought nothing of it. When you run a constant one hundred and eight degrees, the snow is nothing. I headed directly toward the mailbox, still groggy from a long night of raising fur in the woods – I hadn't gotten in until around four in the morning. Now here I was, ten a.m. traipsing through the snow to get the mail because my father couldn't do it in the wheelchair.

I grabbed the mail and headed toward the house, my eyes just barely open – half because of the glare from the snow and half from lack of sleep. I burst through the front door, slamming it behind me then tossed the handful of mail on the couch next to my father before heading back to bed.

"Hey, Jake…you got a letter here, from Denali?"

I stopped abruptly at my father's confused statement – he wasn't the only one. I stared at him for a moment trying to think up any possibilities for the letter. There was only one person I would be getting a letter from that lived in Denali. I nearly bound across the room in one-step and snatched the letter from my dad's grasped, causing him to cringe away from me.

In one fell swoop, I ripped the letter open and read the contents on the stiff card stock paper.

**_You're cordially invited to the wedding of_**

**_Isabella Marie Swan Denali_**

**_and_**

**_Edward Anthony Masen Cullen_**

**_on January eighteenth, two thousand seven, at three in the afternoon_**

**_at the home of the Cullens in Denali, Alaska._**

**_See you there._**

Whoa, no shit! Didn't see that coming, although I probably should have known something like this would happen eventually. If she was, still the girl I knew her as before her unfortunate change then she would be able to get past the regrettable stuff and move on.

"What's it about Jake?" my dad asked as he attempted to crane his neck to see what was in my letter.

"Some people I befriended in Alaska when I found Bella are getting married. They invited me to their wedding," I stated calmly. I hated lying but considering the circumstances regarding Bella, it was a necessity.

Shortly after I had decided to leave 'no stone unturned' until I found Bella, the rest of the pack had decided to stop phasing, choosing to age with their imprints. I on the other hand was different. I was the only one who hadn't imprinted. Even Brady had imprinted on Sam's cousin Lilly.

I had no reason to stop shifting, thinking and hoping maybe I just hadn't found her yet, that I needed time – so I continued to phase. Considering I was the only member of the pack still shifting, the pack mind was entirely my own – and it felt great!

My father was still watching me intently, most likely wondering if there was a reason for my long silence. "The date is set for five days from now so I think I'll head out soon."

"Oh…"

I didn't even wait to hear if he said more and almost sprinted into my small room. I hastily filled a small duffle bag with clothes and money and headed out the back door toward the forest. Once inside the dense foliage I placed the duffle on the ground then stripped down to my birthday suit. After stashing my clothes inside the bag, I shifted into my overly hairy self. I snatched up the bag with my long snout and took off at a full run toward Alaska.

As I ran, several things ran through my head as well. Yes, Bella had been my best friend when she was human but now she is my immortal enemy. Just because she was now what we killed, could I actually kill _her_? Everything inside me screamed no. From what I saw of her before she went psycho and ran inside she was still Bella, just a slightly more beautiful version.

I continued to ponder over my 'friend's' status and what I considered her – friend or foe. Based on where I was currently going, I think it was obvious, she was still my friend or I wouldn't be heading to _her_ wedding. I was still thinking about my friend when I broke through the thick trees and spotted the Denali's house.

I slunk back into the trees and quickly phased back to only two legs and threw on some clothes before plodding back across the open white field toward the log cabin style home. A girl with long brown hair exited through the front door and stopped on the porch, staring intently at me.

"Jake, you came…" her voice tinged with relief and she flashed over to me faster than I had expected from my once human friend. She threw her arms around my neck in a tight hug that would have broken my neck if I were human. The hold on my neck snapped away suddenly and Bella leapt away quickly, a disgusted expression on her face.

"Jake, you stink," she sneered and pinched her nose closed then grabbed my hand and started to pull me toward the house. "I vote you take a bath right now…"

I chuckled as I planted my feet firmly on the ground, causing Bella to falter in her steps and stopped to look at me. "Bella, you stink too."

Her eyes widened then she started sniffing her hair and arms. "No I don't, I showered this morning!"

The laughter erupted at her naïve statement. My Bella was truly still alive and it made me euphoric. Despite what happened, despite her being changed to something undead, she was still Bella.

"Bella, did no one tell you? Vampires reek to wolves and vice versa," I continued to chuckle as she stared at me blankly then her eyes narrowed as she glared at the house from the corner of her eye.

"No…they didn't."

"BELLA…are you two coming in?" My head snapped up when I heard the alluring feminine voice hollering from the house. There was a vibration in the voice that pulled me, no, demanded that I follow the tempting tone of voice, it drew me like sirens called to sailors. I literally drug Bella through the snow toward the house, toward the sound that called to me.

The angel that watched us was a vision. Strawberry blond waves framed her perfect face and her inviting amber eyes kept a watchful look on us as we approached. Everything about the woman on the porch was perfect from head to toe.

Oh my god, I just imprinted!

* * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

*cowers behind the remains of the Volvo* Please don't hurt me! My aunt suggested the car smashing and I thought it was a stupid idea but over time it started to seem like a good idea.

Do you think Bella was in the right to destroy the Volvo or was it too much? I thought Bella needed a way to feel better and totalling Edward's precious car seemed to fit the bill.

Do you think Jake was surprised by his invite? OMG, Jacob imprinted, finally! Who is surprised by that little snippet of info? ^_-

One more chapter and the epilogue is all that left, WOW. Any ideas as to what will be in them?


	14. A Promise That Lasts Forever

Twilight is not mine, by now you should know this._

* * *

_

_Previously: Edward gets smashed with his Volvo and Bella says now she can marry him. Alice asks numerous questions about wedding that Bella can't answer. Jake receives wedding invite so he goes to Alaska where he sees a woman and imprints on her._

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 14: A Promise That Lasts Forever**

_**Tanya's Point of View**_

I glanced over Bee's reflection in the mirror and I couldn't hold back the proud smile I had. She had come a long way since that first day when I had found her in the woods, scared, confused and unsure about what she was. When she had learned the truth about her change, I had feared the truth would destroy her mind and spirit as it had destroyed her body and humanity. However, Bee had surprised us all by pulling herself through the despair of the worst torture imaginable. Just as Edward had told me repeatedly, she was truly amazing.

Now, here she was, sitting in Alice's boudoir at the Cullen home, getting ready for her wedding. Her hair hung loosely down her back and looked angelic. Her makeup was the perfect shade of brown and contrasted beautifully with her golden eyes. Her white dress trimmed in real mink fur around her shoulders and feet clung to her body, and she was radiant.

When I bought the dress a thousand years ago in Russia, I had hoped I would be the one to use it, first anyway, but letting the girl I had come to view as my daughter use it first wasn't so bad.

"Hey Tanya, is it true that Jacob imprinted on you?" I chuckled softly at her innocent question then nodded my head. "He's told me about what it is he feels but what is it like for you?"

I blinked in surprise several times before I could form the proper words to describe my spontaneous feelings…for a werewolf no less. "Um, well it was sort of like that clique about love at first sight but it felt more like desire, love, life, death, sacrifice, happiness, and paradise all rolled into one. It took me a minute to comprehend all the emotions and urges pinballing around inside me but when I realized my immense connection to a man I hadn't even met before, I was overwhelmed, even for a vampire…I'm not describing this very well…"

Bella smiled softly then shook her head slowly. "You described it perfectly. That was how I felt when I first saw Edward though I didn't figure out the meaning of my feelings till later."

I hugged her to me and smiled at her via the mirror. "Maybe you formed your own imprint or…maybe there is more to being a singer than just the irresistible blood. Perhaps, if the vampire can get past the bloodlust, their singer is their ultimate mate…their imprint?"

"That's a nice theory; I'll keep that in mind," she sounded sincere and I knew she was. "Are you happy? I mean, I know how you felt about Edward and how badly you wanted someone of your own but I'm sure this isn't what you anticipated?"

I shook my head in disbelief, this girl was very observant. "No, this is definitely _not_ what I had in mind for my mate. If this is what the Fates had planned for me from the start then that would explain why I was without one for so long wouldn't it?" Bella tilted her head in agreement.

There was a quick knock on the door then it burst open to reveal Alice in her bridesmaid dress, bouncing up and down. The stubborn little pixie had managed to throw together a winter themed wedding in just over a week and she even managed to find bridesmaid dresses to fit the theme. All of us women except Bella were dressed in a light grayish blue with a white fur shoulder wrap.

"Oh Bella, you look absolutely beautiful. Are you ready?" Bella nodded at the little pixie's question then stood up. I followed Bella out the room door and down the stairs to a waiting Jacob.

"Are you ready for this?" Jacob held out his arm and waited for Bella to take it. Since Jacob was the closest thing to her real family present, he was giving her away. Now that he had imprinted and the fact that Bella was a vampire, he didn't really have a problem with her marrying Edward. He wasn't too happy about the events that happened upon his departure from her life after her birthday but he planned to rub it in every chance he got.

I then trailed behind Alice out into the lightly falling snow and took my seat in one of the few chairs set up for the ceremony. It was a very small wedding, only the Cullens and us along with the minister. I watched at the girl I had nourished, taught and loved for the last several months placed her hand in Edward's offered one. Who would have thought that the man I had been chasing for so long would now be marrying the girl I considered my daughter, talk about irony.

We had decided to hold the wedding at the Cullen's, based on the fact that fit better with Alice's theme. Our house was a log cabin style home while the Cullen's is a white Victorian mansion and matched better with the theme. The fresh snow covered the trees, making the setting more whimsical. Tiny light blue flower petals were scattered all over the snow on the ground. A small silver carpet stretched down the center of the seats and the minister stood at the front of it all.

Edward stood upfront next to the minister in a white tux with a light blue tie and looked nervous and thrilled. A slow chiming song started and Edward stood up straighter, not sure how that was even possible but he stiffened nonetheless. I turned my head and saw Jacob watching Bella down the aisle. The biggest smile I'd ever seen on her beautiful face matched the same huge smile Edward now had on his. Jacob kissed Bella chastely on the cheek then sat down in the chair next to me and threw his arm onto the back of my seat.

My chest constricted as Edward and Bella gazed into each other's eyes. I saw their lips moving but not any of the words. I was lost in a sea of emotion as I watched Bella taking a huge step away from me. I wasn't her real mother but after only a few months of caring for her, consoling her, I felt like it.

The entire ceremony passed me by in a blur, I didn't hear any of the words, the vows, the I Do's, and I almost missed the kiss that signified them as man and wife.

I was in a daze as the small reception got underway, photos were taken, and congratulations were given. It took Jacob taking me in his arms and hauling me toward the dance floor to pull me from my self-imposed wonderland.

"She'll be okay," he whispered into my ear then he spun me onto the dance floor, which was actually the living room with the furniture pushed out of the way. We danced for a couple songs and with each twist and turn, my worries faded. By the last song, I was smiling and giggling like a teenager.

"Tanya, are you ready yet?" Esme whispered to me as I was walking from the dance floor.

A wide spread over my face and after giving Jacob's hand a squeeze I ran to a corner table and hastily pulled out a set of keys. I then stalked toward the newly married couple still dancing with a stern look on my face. They both stopped dancing and stared at me, uneasiness evident in their eyes but Edward's quickly relaxed.

"We have a wedding present for the two of you. It's from all of us…" I held up a pair of keys and grinned sheepishly as Bella stared at them in confusion. "It's sitting between our house and the Cullen's," the poor girl was still confused.

Edward leaned down so he could whisper in her ear. "It's a house, a small cabin really."

Now, her eyes lit up. Before I knew it, she had her arms around my neck and she was thanking me profusely. Edward grabbed the keys off the ground since I had dropped them Bella's sudden assault. She released me then proceeded to give everyone in the family a huge hug and thank you as well. That house had definitely been the best idea for a gift than I would have expected.

_**

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Bella's Point of View**_

No matter how much I complained or begged and pleaded, Edward insisted that he carry me, through the snow, all the way to our new home. He vehemently ignored our family's demands to take the car, that there was a driveway we could use. But nooo, he wanted the pleasure of carting me around like a toddler.

He held me firmly to his chest, which I wasn't complaining about, I loved the feel of his chest in any way, shape…form…even more so when it was pressed up against me. Edward trudged through the snow, ruining his shoes and pants but he ignored my ranting and complaining. All he did was grin sheepishly as we made our way through the forest.

We broke through a thick tree line and a loud gasp passed over my lips as I stared at the cute little cabin before us. Compared to the Denali or the Cullen home, it was much smaller. The log cabin, rustic feeling was everywhere on the home, the porch, the chimney, the two second story dormers, even the attached garage. It was so perfect and so me. Something small and cozy is all I needed, something where Edward and me can just be together. A place, where I can feel his presence when I'm in any room of the house.

"Put me down, put me down…" I wiggled to free myself from my new husband so I could ogle our home freely but his grip on me only tightened.

"I don't think so. I'll put you down inside the house, once I've carried you over the threshold," he smirked cockily then continued on toward the front steps of the porch that led to our little honeymoon cottage.

I crossed my arms over my chest the best I could despite being held in Edward's arms and groused about his stubborn chivalrous ways being out dated. His hold tightened as he ascended the stairs and strolled across the porch to the front door. He moved his hand briefly from my back to open the door and he toed it open further with his shoe.

Edward stepped over the entrance but he didn't release me, he then leaned his face down to speak seductively in my ear. "You may find my gentleman ways out dated but you fell for me anyways."

Sighing loudly in annoyance, I looked away from him. "I still wonder what was wrong with me at that time." He scoffed then whispered something that sounded like a kinky threat.

Instead of setting me down on the floor, he marched through the home at a quick pace, too fast for me to even really take in the décor. All I was able to make out was the large screen television on the far wall and the large shelf of books – there had better be books. I caught a little of the interior and noticed the log wall theme continued throughout the room. A hint of plaid flannel caught my eye and saw that it was a blanket over the back of the couch.

We passed several doors as he carried me down the hallway into the unknown. In the mean time, I noticed the walls were of the matching logs as the exterior, this was a true log cabin. I hadn't even had a chance to explore the house yet and it somehow already felt like a home, our home.

At the end of the hallway, Edward tapped the door with his toe and the door slowly swung open to reveal a room bejeweled in little candles and the same light blue flower petals that were at our wedding. The room was bright and white with white furniture but the bedding and canopy cover on the four-poster bed was an icy blue color, the room was breathtaking.

Without any words or glances, Edward strolled directly for the bed and finally he put me down, though it was in a sitting position on the edge of the bed. He then knelt on the floor at my feet and gently removed my fur-lined boots and I giggled at his sweet gesture.

"What? This is what men did when I was raised, so be nice!" he wasn't angry with me in the least and his scolding was actually on the teasing side.

I looked down at him through my lashes and poked out my bottom lip. "Sowwy…" his eyebrows shot to the ceiling at my babyish apology. He then lunged for me and slammed his mouth hungrily on to mine, sending me falling backward onto the bed and I met his hunger with my own. Why couldn't he have kissed me like this all the time?

Something in the back of my mind sent off a siren of warning. I knew there was nothing for me to really worry about, this was Edward, and he would never knowingly hurt me. That time after my birthday didn't count, he thought I would be fine, he didn't realize the pain and hurt I would end up enduring. Therefore, that warning had to be for something else.

_**

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Edward's Point of View**_

Bella stiffen by only a fraction but I was so in tune to her body and emotions that the smallest of changes, I noticed. I leaned up on my elbows and gazed down at my beautiful wife, still dressed in silk and fur.

"Bella, are you alright?" she pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth as she nodded her head nervously. "Love, you're trembling…" First the stiffening, now the shaking, she was starting to worry me. Concern for my wife and mate overruled every other thought in my head and I brushed some loose hair out of her face.

Even though I felt like I was going slow, it might not be slow enough for her. "Honestly, I'm terrified, but I don't know why or what's causing it. I just know there is a siren wailing in the back of my head warning me," the fear in her voice was evident and it tightened my chest. My angel was scared and I didn't know what to do about it.

I assumed the warning she was referring to was her body's way of alerting her to potential danger, considering the last time this had happened, she was tortured, hurt in every way possible then roasted alive for three days. How was I supposed to make her realize that everything was going to okay and if need be we could stop?

"I'm scared also. This isn't just my first time, it's yours as well. If need be, we'll take it slow, wait for your body to recognize that I'm not a threat. I will never force you…I love you excessively too much to even attempt anything like that. We'll go at your pace…" I leaned forward and kissed her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks, her earlobes, her neck, then finally I gave her lips the sweetest kiss I could remember ever giving her. She moaned into my mouth and that was all she had to say as her fingers started to work at relieving me of my clothes.

It was now my turn to stiffen. Instinctively, I grabbed her hands and held them firmly in place at my belt then stared down into her quickly darkening topaz eyes. There was a mischievous grin on her lips and she chewed the corner of her bottom lip.

"Bella, I thought we were going to take things slowly?" I could see my wide eyes reflected in her now black ones. My eyes reminded me of the deer I chased for food. Her hands fought against mine to free themselves but I tightened my hold around them. "Isabella?"

At hearing her full name, she stopped and glared at me. Uh oh, what did I do? "_You_ said we would go slow, _I _never said anything of the sort! After your little speech, that cautious feeling is gone. Do you feel me shaking anymore? We can stop if _you're_ not ready yet?" She threw her arms out and flopped them down on the mattress like an angel spreading her wings.

I took that moment and gazed over her stunning body, I would have to rid her of this dress soon. "I don't want you to feel pressured…we don't have-"

She cut me off by pulling me down by my lapel and crashing her lips to mine. This was the same sort of desire-filled kiss she had exerted on me when she was still human, before I royally messed things up. The same sort of hopeful kiss she had used in an attempt to convince me to let loose and make her mine. The same sort of hungry kiss I had denied myself the pleasure of deepening to explore the possibilities of seeing heaven with the woman I love. This was her take me now kiss and this time, she's my wife, she's durable, and I fully intended on making her mine.

_My_ Bella was back!

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Chapter End Notes:**

I'm sorry if anyone was expecting a lemon but considering the nature of this story, it didn't feel _right_ for me to go into details about it, please understand.

At the beginning of this story, chapter 1 was in Bella's PoV only and that's how the epilogue will be written, Bella's PoV only as well. And the epilogue is all that's left. Just a warning, this story will be complete by New Years.


	15. Epilogue: Time Moves On

Twilight is not mine**. **

**Possible tissue warning!**

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_Previously: Bella asks Tanya about her imprinting with Jake. The wedding and the start of the honeymoon in their new home._

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**Epilogue: Time Moves On**

**_Bella's Point of View_  
**

Over the last forty years, I had slowly pieced my broken life back together, with the help of my husband, Edward and my two families – the Cullens and the Denalis. I had managed to get my GED online while I practiced with my shield, both I had aced. I passed the GED with flying colors and as for my shield, let's just say my family doesn't try to surprise me anymore.

Less than a year after I had been cruelly changed, Carlisle deemed me suitable to be in public for extended periods of time, in other words, I could attend school. Carlisle may be alright with my controlled blood lust but I wasn't. Granted I didn't crave human blood since I was only a month or so old, the fear of what ifs or maybes scared me.

Four years later, Edward, Alice, Jasper, Kate and I finally attended our first semester at the University of Fairbanks. What felt like only a year was actually four and I had my first degree in English.

At the end of my first college experience, I learned via Alice, that Phil had been in an accident heading toward one of his teams practices. He was only five miles away from the ballpark when the drunk and stoned driver t-boned his SUV, killing Phil instantly and the other driver died in route to the hospital.

I wanted to run to my mother's side and console her but I knew better than to risk her safety for soothing her. If the Volturi came down on her because I revealed myself to her, I couldn't live with myself. Therefore, I sat back, embraced tightly in Edward's arms while Alice explained her visions to me.

Charlie flew down to Florida to comfort Renée in her time of grief. First, she loses her daughter then about five years later, she loses her husband. Renée was definitely going through hell for lack of a better analogy and she was in dire need of some tender loving care. I was ecstatic to hear that my dad was there for my mom when I couldn't be and I didn't know whether to be fully glad or extremely hurt.

After a month, Charlie had to return to Forks and back to work.

A week later, Renée showed up on his doorstep bags in hand. She stayed in Charlie's room and he slept on the couch, neither wanting to venture into my old room. Alice confirmed my suspicions; my room hadn't been touched since the investigation of my disappearance.

Over the next year or so, we cared on with our lives, doing the not-so normal things vampires do. We relocated to a small town in Ontario and registered to start high school. Since it had only been about six years, I had to go by a pseudo name. Edward jumped at me going by Cullen since he would be going by his birth name of Masen but I thought using Cullen would be too obvious if someone decided to investigate further.

Isabella Marie Brandon was now attending her freshman year at Greenstone High in Ontario Canada. Edward pouted that I hadn't chosen one of his names. I reminded him that when we remarry in a few years that she would be taking my name all over again.

On my birthday that year, Alice came bounding into the room I shared with Edward, happy and chipper as can be. If this for another birthday party I was seriously going to dismember her and hide the pieces.

"He proposed!"

I glared at the fairy bug as she jumped up and down on my bed. I fought for the sheet to wrap around my naked self. "Who? Jasper?"

Alice launched herself to her knees in front of me. "No silly. Charlie proposed to Renée…she said yes."

I was dumbfounded. My parents were getting back together and getting married and I couldn't even be there to enjoy the special occasion. Edward took me in his arms when he or _Jasper_ picked up on my despair.

Now, it was forty years after my disappearance, my parents had been happily remarried for about thirty-three years now and I was about to do the hardest thing imaginable for anyone. I needed to tell them good-bye for the final time.

Alice informed me a week ago that they didn't have much longer to live, that their clocks were starting to run down. I sat in the passenger seat of the newest Volvo while Edward drove. I waited franticly as we drove across the country border then across several state lines. I didn't know what was worse – the waiting thirty odd years until they did pass or the knowing that it would happen soon.

During the time of my absence or rather my death and their renewed love for each other, not once did they think about leaving Forks. My room remained untouched, with the exception of Renée entering to dust occasionally.

With Jacob's help, the Quileute elders give me permission to visit my parents one final time, to say my goodbyes. This was far from how I originally planned to tell them goodbye, but my plans rarely panned out. I never planned for Edward to leave, or plan to be kidnapped, or attacked by Victoria and her lackeys, or planned to have Edward back in my life let alone my husband…so my plans were always way off the mark.

It was past midnight when we passed the 'Welcome to Forks' sign. At this time of night, it was as if we had driven into a ghost town with working street lamps. Edward drove us stealthily through the sleeping town where we first met, every corner stirred up a memory and every reminder involved Edward in some way or another.

Edward grasped my left hand firmly a second after he turned onto my home street and after another second of me tensing up. My old house came into view, as did my old Chevy – Charlie never got rid of it, my chest tightened at the knowledge.

Edward parked the car down the street so as not to alert anyone there was someone outside the Swan house. I held on to Edward's hand tightly, as if it was my life jacket in a storm at sea and I couldn't swim. He returned the pressure with his fingers, attempting to assure me that I wasn't alone.

"You can do this, I'll be right with you," he whispered softly into my ear. He didn't need to whisper that close to me but it made it more personal and intimate. All I could muster in reply was a nod.

We walked silently toward the house, my nerves closer and closer to the edge with each footstep I left behind me.

"Bella?"

The sudden husky voice caused me to spin and crouch in defense at the direction it echoed from in the dense trees. Edward started shushing me, trying to get me to relax. A dark figure wearing only shorts emerged from behind the trees.

"Seth?" I straightened at seeing the older version of the Quileute boy I barely knew when I was human. He stepped further from the trees, a sad look in his eyes.

"When Carlisle called to ask permission for you to visit, he informed us that he believes Charlie and Renée don't have that much longer. Is that true?" He tried to avert his eyes from either of us as he asked his depressing question.

I automatically stiffened at the mention of my parents impending deaths. "Yes it's true," in a surprisingly flat tone, Edward thankfully answered for me. Seth then nodded his head slightly toward the house and Edward turned me toward it. "Thank you Seth, we won't be long."

Hesitantly, I walked toward the small white house that I lived in forty years ago. It didn't feel like it was that long ago and I was enjoying a nice walk with Edward down this very street, hand in hand. Forty years later, we were now doing the exact same thing, minus the nice walk part. We had come here to say goodbye to my parents, which definitely wasn't something I would consider _nice_.

We stood just below my old bedroom window and I stared up, and then Edward leapt up effortlessly, demonstrating how he had gotten inside all those years ago. I took in a deep breath of air and repeated Edward's movements; I too was just as effortless in my actions. Even after all this time, the window still opened soundlessly and we slid inside just as quietly.

The nostalgia hit me full force as I gazed around my old room. Everything was the same, except there weren't any dirty clothes on the floor. I couldn't believe that they hadn't cleaned out this room to make an art room, hobby room, gunroom…all of the above maybe. My eyes landed on the closed door to my left and it suddenly didn't feel as if I was breathing anymore.

"Want me to come in with you?" Edward asked quietly in my ear and slowly massaged the back of my neck with his comforting hand. I bit my lip out of nervousness and nodded my head slightly at his question.

I created a vise like hold on his hand as he slowly pulled me through my bedroom door and across the small landing to the open door to my parent's room. I actually felt my chest constrict as I gazed down at my sleeping parents. Renée had her back pressed up against Charlie's chest with his left arm draped over her waist and both wore a small smile. My eyes started to sting at the sight before me. It was every child's dream to have his or her divorced parents back together; too bad I wasn't around to witness the miracle.

While still holding tightly on to Edward's hand, I kneeled down on my knees by the side of the bed. I glanced over the forms of the two sleeping humans, totally unaware of the supernatural being watching them. They looked almost the same way they did forty years ago just add some wrinkles, laugh lines and a lot of gray – Charlie more so than Renée. They were definitely showing their ages now.

"Bella, Seth tells me you only have ten more minutes," I glanced up at him and he tapped his temple, stubborn mind reader.

I turned back to my parents and said a silent prayer that this would work. I exhaled a little of my sweet vampire breath over their faces and they seemed to have visibly relaxed some. I looked back to Edward, a little nervous about what I was about to do, he nodded in encouragement.

Very softly, gently and cheerfully, I spoke one last time to the two people that had brought me life. "Mom, Dad…its Bella. I just wanted to reassure you that I'm fine, I'm happy and very much in love," I paused and sighed as I thought over my next choice of words. "I'm sorry for the trouble and pain I must have put you through when I went missing…I'm so, so sorry," my voice was cracking as I forced out my apology. "Please rest at ease knowing that your daughter is with the man she loves and that he loves her back, very much. I love you both so very much and I wish I could have been here these last forty years…but that is impossible. I love you…Mom and Dad."

I slowly stood back up on my feet and wrapped my arms around my husband's waist and he pressed his lips to the top of my head. "One more thing love, then we can go." I stared at him oddly, what else was there to do? Edward smiled down at me then turned his head toward my parents. "Charlie, Renée…please keep in mind that I love your daughter with my entire being and her happiness and safety are my top priority. Thank you for creating such a wonderful woman and raising her with incredible knowledge and love."

The words he spoke moved me emotionally and I smiled at him then glanced down at my sleeping parents. Edward then minutely tugged on my shoulders, trying to direct me from the room but I was reluctant to leave. I wanted to stay with them for as long as I could and just gaze upon them, committing their peaceful faces to memory. Unfortunately, reality has a horrible habit of intruding on the important things.

"Come on love, Seth is counting down in his head. Didn't you want to grab a few things from your room before we leave?" I nodded sadly at him, he was right; we needed to leave now while the treaty was still in tack. I let Edward lead me through the doors and he silently closed my bedroom door behind him.

I reluctantly released his hands and darted around my room thinking of what things to grab. The last photo of the three of us during my last summer in Phoenix, it was the last picture I had of us together and it was sitting perfectly on my nightstand. Actually, that was all I really needed from my previous life, the one thing my non-beating heart needed. I turned around after grabbing the photo frame and was surprised to see Edward kneeling on the floor at the foot of the bed.

"Edward?" I glanced over his shoulder at the floorboards to see what he was doing. I gasped loudly at what I saw. There was a CD, an envelope, numerous pictures of Edward and me together and then there was a small black velvet box – it was the stuff he had taken from me on the day he left, except for the box, I didn't recognize that.

"It didn't feel right to take them, they're yours," he sounded apologetic and scooped the items up into his large hand then stood up and handed me everything, but the box. "The box, is for later," he smirked as he held the box up for me to see then he quickly shoved it into his pocket. "Let's get out of here before Seth has a coronary."

All it took was a small half nod from me and Edward practically pulled me out the window and slid it shut. As soon as our feet touched the ground beneath my window, I heard both of my parents gasp eerily.

"Oh my…I just had a dream of Bella…" Renée gasped out loudly.

"So did I…she told me she was okay and with the man she loves…"

"I had the same dream…you don't think…" I then heard my mother's feet shuffling across the floor. "Charlie…the picture of us is missing!"

"What picture?" My dad sounded confused and I heard his heavier footsteps approaching my mom.

"The picture of all of us together…it's gone!"

"Maybe you misplaced it," Charlie answered her dismissively.

Edward pulled me toward the trees, despite my reluctance to leave. We stopped just inside the tree line and Edward pushed me up against the nearest tree and whispered quietly. "Renée is seriously thinking you're alive and has debated running out the door."

I looked back at the house, panicked and ashamed. I had only planned to give them some reassurance not have them hoping I would return. DAMN IT! From our vantage point in the forest, we could still hear my parents scrambling around inside the house.

"I DIDN'T MISPLACE IT! No one has been in this room for months and I only come in here to dust!" my mother's voice was becoming hysterical as she shouted at my father. I then heard the window shoot open and I instinctively stiffened. "BELLA! PLEASE BELLA COME HOME…"

"Renée…listen to yourself! She's not coming back! She said so in her dream, she can't, it's impossible. But at least she's happy and loved, let's be grateful we know that much…"

Edward's arms wrapped around my shoulders and held to him tightly as I tried to keep in my sobs at hearing my parents. I buried my face in his chest as I listened to Charlie trying to convince Renée what was the right and better thing to do.

There was the sudden snapping of a twig behind us and I peeked from Edward's shirt to see what the disturbance was. A sandy colored wolf emerged from behind a large bush and his lip curled over his teeth as he nodded off to the side. I glared at him and waited for Edward to translate.

"Seth says it's time for us to leave," Edward sounded annoyed at the wolf's persistence and he slowly led me through the forest to our car that sat waiting down the street.

We didn't speak a word the entire way home. Edward's hand gripped mine tightly on the center console and he would occasionally squeeze it when he thought I was having a difficult moment.

We arrived home after the two-day drive and Esme was the first to take me into her embrace. Upon feeling her motherly hug, I broke down into sobs. Shortly after, everyone else gathered in a huge group hug but even the force of the hug couldn't end my weeping. Only time would heal my breaking heart and time was the one thing I had in abundance.

It felt like it had been a month but it had only been a day. Life slowly returned to normal, everyone carried on with his or her daily lives and routines and there really wasn't anything to complain about in my life at the moment.

Three days later, after a good meal of caribou, I lounged on the bed in my room reading a new book Jasper found for me, waiting for Edward to return from town with Carlisle. A quiet and soft knocking on the door distracted me from the book and I looked up.

"Yeah?"

The door silently and slowly opened to reveal a somber looking Alice. She looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders and despite being a strong vampire; it seemed to be weighing her down. She lingered in the doorway, her head downcast, her hand wringing fretfully together. Upon seeing my sister's nervous condition, it immediately sent me into panic mode. There was only one thing I could think of that would have her in such a state.

I slowly climbed off the bed and took hesitant steps toward her. "Bella…I'm so sorry…" she started to shake and sob. I finally reached her and wrapped my arms around her tiny shaking shoulders. Reminiscent of a snail, she gradually looked up at me. "I just got the vision…Charlie and Renée…they both just passed away…in their bed…"

Alice buried her face into my shoulder and continued to sob. I felt like sobbing also but I just couldn't bring myself to do that, my arms tightened involuntarily. Edward soon arrived home and must have heard Alice's distress in her thoughts because he was up the stairs and had me cradled in his arms in a matter of four seconds flat. Now that his tight, comforting arms were around me, the sobs started. Time had allowed me to explain a few things to my parents, to let them know I was happy and say farewell. After all the pain my disappearance and _death_ had caused them, I was happy knowing they had managed to live and love again, surprisingly with each other. I had heard that a child was supposed to outlive their parents; as far as my parents knew, they had outlived me, but in reality, I had outlived them and then some.

All I could think of at that moment was that my premature death hadn't destroyed them so completely, that it ruined their lives. They had continued to live on, keeping me in their hearts, never forgetting…and neither will I.

Edward held me tightly for hours until I cried myself out, bet he was happy I couldn't shed tears and ruin his shirt. His hand stroked my hair, comforting me. "Think you'll be alright now?" I hesitated for a moment then slowly nodded my head against his chest.

"I got to say what I needed to them…so there really isn't anything to…"

Edward grabbed my face in his hands, successfully cutting me off and forced me to look at him. "Bella they're your parents, you're allowed to be sad when they die, even when you're expecting it. I never got the chance to mourn my parents since I was dying myself then I was crazy with thirst. You are the only one of us that got the chance to say goodbye, you are so fortunate."

I tried to nod my head in agreement but he had a firm hold on my face and my nod probably looked more like a twitch. "And I'm grateful you went with me to say my goodbyes."

A small crooked smile appeared and he released my face but kept his eyes locked on mine as he fished through his pants pocket for something. "Now, if you're ready…do you want what's in the black box?"

All I could do was stare at him blankly because there was absolutely nothing running through my head, he had rendered me stunned by his sudden change of subject. He pulled out the small box and sat it in my lap. "I was originally planning to give this to you at your birthday party but then, well…you know…" I felt like giggling at his nervousness but figured now would not be the best time.

My fingers touched the soft velvet of the box and I lifted it up and opened the lid. A seemingly innocent heart-shaped locket pendant necklace in sterling silver, there was a small diamond in the center. I opened the locket to see a photo of Edward and I on the left and a romantic engraving on the right*.

I launched myself at my husband, throwing my arms around his neck and planting a passionate kiss firmly on his lips. I pulled away and saw his shocked and lusty expression. "Always and forever indeed, I love you!"

"You had better," he then tilted his head back up and captured my lips again. Showing all the love, he had for me in that one earth forming, world exploding, and all consuming and forever loving kiss.

**THE END!**

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**Chapter End Notes:**

I hope the epilogue wasn't too awful.

Please don't ask if I'm continuing this because I'm not. I've run out of ideas and I don't want the story to get boring or overdone.


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